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[♪ INTRO]

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Oh, hi everyone! I was just talking to Squeaks 
about the big trip he’s taking with Jessi.

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Are you all packed yet?

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Oh, I see. You’re nervous because you’ve 
never flown on an airplane before.

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Squeaks says he’s been learning 
all about flying and airplanes.

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I think that’s a great idea!

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Once you learn about how something 
works, it can be a whole lot less scary!

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You know, it’s a really blustery day outside,

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and that gives me an idea for another 
part of flying we can learn about!

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Birds and planes fly through the air,

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and when we can feel air 
moving around, we call it…

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That’s right, the wind!

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In fact, some of you wanted to learn about it too.

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Seven year old Max recently asked,

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“Where does wind come from?”

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Thank you, Max! That’s a great question.
 
Wind is moving air. Air is all around us.

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When air gets hot, it goes up, or rises.

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And when that happens, cooler 
air rushes in to take its place.

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That rushing air is wind!

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So any time air is getting hot or cold, 
there’s probably going to be some wind!

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As temperatures around the Earth rise 
and fall from day to night and season to

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season, they can create big patterns of 
wind, or winds that often do the same thing.

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We can look at a map of the Earth to see 
how they move across the whole planet.

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There’s maps of all kinds 
of things, including wind.

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We can’t see wind, but we can still make 
pictures of the patterns it creates.

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Let me show you an example of a wind pattern.

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This wind pattern is called the jet stream.

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It happens over the whole continent 
of North America, where we live.

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It’s so strong it even 
affects airplanes sometimes.

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An airplane that is flying west to east, this way,

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might actually make the trip faster, 
because it’s flying in the same direction

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as the jet stream wind is blowing.

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The jet stream wind is pushing the plane.

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Yes, a lot like you push a friend on a swing.

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A plane flying east to west, the 
other way, might go a little slower

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because it’s flying against the jet stream.

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So the wind is pushing against the plane.

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Wind can happen on a small scale 
too, like in your neighborhood.

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You’ve probably felt wind before 
when you’ve played outside.

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Those winds are happening on a 
smaller scale than wind patterns

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like the jet stream, but it’s the same idea.

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When one bit of air moves, 
more races in to replace it.

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And when there is a lot of air moving around,

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it can get pretty blustery, 
just like today at the Fort! ~

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Weather scientists, called 
meteorologists, help predict, or guess,

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how much wind there will be in a certain area.

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People can then make plans 
around those predictions.

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For example, pilots can 
track the big wind patterns

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and the smaller winds wherever 
they are flying to and from.

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Well, you’re right, airplanes 
can be pushed around by the wind.

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That’s why pilots and other people who work

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with airplanes have to pay lots of 
attention to what the wind is doing.

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Like knowing if they will fly faster 
or slower because of the jet stream.

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Wind can also affect the Earth in other ways.

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Mountains and forests change 
the path that the wind can take,

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but really strong winds can knock 
down trees or other tall things.

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Wind also has a big impact 
on the shape of the land.

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Over a very long time, wind 
can even break down mountains!
  

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It’s true!

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As it blows, wind can pull off 
small pieces of rocks or dirt

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and carry them away, bit by bit.

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Over millions of years, mountains and canyons

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get worn down and transform in big ways.

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Water wears away the land 
too, with rain and rivers.

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This is called erosion.

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It may not look like much at first.

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But over time it can transform the land.

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Erosion can make all kinds of cool 
shapes, like sand dunes or yardangs.

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See how the wind has carved 
away the soft outer layers

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and left behind the harder rock.

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I think it kind of looks like a 
shark fin poking out of the sand.

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What do you think?
 
Yes Squeaks! I see that too!

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Wind is pretty amazing.

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It can change the shape of the land, 
move around clouds with rain in them,

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and even help us get where we are going faster!

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Best of all, I think Squeaks is 
feeling a little better, aren’t you?

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Thanks for helping Squeaks 
learn more about wind today,

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and watching this episode of SciShow Kids.

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You can ask a grown up to 
help send questions to us.

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They can get started at patreon.com/scishowkids.

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And thank you for joining us here at the Fort!

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[♪ OUTRO]