This map shows average wind speeds around our planet at four different altitudes and different times of year. This movement is important because it shapes our weather, our climate and even our ability to travel by air across the planet. In addition to the speed, the map displays the direction of the wind.

Wind is the movement of air caused by the uneven heating of the Earth by the sun and atmospheric pressures. Warm air rises (low pressure), and cooler, denser air rushes in to replace it (high pressure), creating wind.

The dynamic layers map two variables: speed and direction. That combination is what allows the lines to show flow. To create these averages, geographers combined recorded wind data from 1940 to present. The data comes from the Copernicus Climate Change and Atmosphere Monitoring Services, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and Esri.

This map has four different layers for different months of the year. Each of those layers can be expanded to show wind speed and direction at different altitudes and pressures. The altitudes are measured in kilometers (km) above the earth. Because there is less air pressure further from the Earth’s surface, each altitude also has a certain pressure, measured in pascals (Pa). For each month, the map shows the average wind flow at the Earth’s surface (sea level 0 feet - 100,000 Pa), at a large wind turbine’s elevation (370 meters or approximately 1214 feet - 97,500 Pa), at the height of bird migration (1.5 kilometers or approximately 4900 feet - 85,000 Pa), and the jet stream level, some of the strongest winds in the atmosphere (8 km or approximately 26,000 feet - 17,500 Pa). For comparison, commercial airplanes typically cruise at altitudes between 30,000 and 42,000 feet.

The atmospheric pressure, or weight of the atmosphere, is heaviest on the Earth’s surface, which means that winds move relatively slowly compared to speeds at higher elevations. There are also more variations in wind patterns over land, influenced by landforms like water and mountains. Have you ever noticed how there always seems to be a breeze at the beach? Land heats up more quickly than water during the day. Because of this, the air pressure over land becomes lower compared to the higher pressure over the cooler ocean. This difference in pressure causes air to move from the water toward the shore, creating wind along the coast.

The wind is also influenced by the rotation of the Earth. The Earth rotates counterclockwise, causing a pattern of air movement called the Coriolis effect is generated. Prevailing winds blow in a single direction because of the movement of the Earth, blowing east to west. Where the two hemispheres' winds meet are called convergence zones. The Coriolis effect creates twists in the flow, clockwise for the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise for the Southern Hemisphere.

Explorer Peia Patai - Navigator and Traditional Polynesian Voyager

Oceania is a vast, diverse region in the Pacific Ocean consisting of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and thousands of islands divided into Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania comprising over 1,000 islands in the central/southern Pacific Ocean, defined by a "triangle" connecting Hawaii, New Zealand, and Easter Island. For many generations, the Polynesian people have been expert voyagers. Descended from the people of Mauke, National Geographic Explorer Peia Patai is a navigator who lives on Rarotonga, Cook Islands who became interested in traditional voyaging in 1991.

Traditional Polynesian voyaging is the ancient art and science of navigating vast ocean distances in double-hulled sailing canoes using only natural cues—stars, winds, swells, and marine life. Patai was taught by Hawaiian Nainoa Thompson, along with Pwo Grand Master Navigator Mau Piailug, the Micronesian seafarer who is credited for sparking the Pacific voyaging renaissance after successfully sailing the maiden voyage of Hawaiian canoe, Hokulea (Hōkūleʻa), in 1976. Hōkūleʻa is a modern recreation of an ancient Polynesian long-distance voyaging canoe. These master navigators work to inspire new generations to understand traditional navigation.

In 2011, Patai captained canoe Marumaru Atua on the Te Mana o Te Moana voyage, sailing hundreds of thousands of nautical miles across the Pacific over two years. Peia Patai was awarded the National Geographic Wayfinder Award in 2025 for his bold thinking and boundary-pushing actions. One of only two master navigators in the Cook Islands, Peia is committed to reviving the knowledge of navigating and voyaging in the Cook Islands to teach the youth

Thinking Geographically

For Polynesians, understanding the relationship between the wind, stars, ocean currents and marine life was an important part of making a voyage without modern technology and instruments. If you’re navigating a sailing vessel, wind is the fuel to move forward. The wind also affects the ocean. More wind means higher waves.

Let’s explore the winds in Oceania where the traditional Polynesian voyagers began. Zoom to the Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and Australia. Change the basemap to Ocean. You might also explore the National Geographic Style basemap too. Change the winds that you see on the map to the Surface winds for March. What is the overall direction that wind flows in this area?

Click Add a layer. Search for Ocean Surface Currents and add it to the map. Are there any similarities between ocean surface currents and wind in different months?

Explore the various times of year: Spring, summer, fall and winter. How do the winds at various altitudes vary by each season?

If you had to plan a journey from Hawaii to Australia, what time of year would be best based on wind and ocean currents?