Which are major global wind patterns?

• A. Polar Easterlies, Prevailing Westerlies, Trade Winds
• B. Monsoons, Jet Streams, Local Breezes
• C. Doldrums, Horse Latitudes, Chinook Winds
• D. Polar Deserts, Sahara Gusts, Tropical Lows

Answer: (A)

Large-scale atmospheric circulation creates three primary surface wind belts that dominate winds around the globe. In the tropics, warm air rises and moves toward the equator, but the planet’s rotation deflects these winds so they blow from east to west—the Trade Winds. In the mid-latitudes, air moves poleward but is deflected to flow from west to east, giving the Prevailing Westerlies. Near the poles, cold air moves equatorward and is redirected to blow from east to west, producing the Polar Easterlies. These three belts together represent the major global wind patterns at the surface.

Other options mix seasonal or regional phenomena (like monsoons), high-altitude features (jet streams), or local winds, which are not the persistent global surface wind belts.