Which statement describes a high-pressure system?

• A. Has higher pressure at its center than the areas around it.
• B. Winds blow toward the center.
• C. Air sinks into the surface to fill space from air blown outward.
• D. Winds swirl clockwise north of the equator and counterclockwise south of the equator (anticyclonic flow).

Answer: (A)

A high-pressure system is defined by a center where the atmospheric pressure is higher than in the surrounding areas. That higher central pressure causes air to sink and spread outward at the surface, leading to a roughly clockwise flow around the center in the Northern Hemisphere (and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere). The statement that best captures this idea is the one that says the center has higher pressure than the surrounding areas. The other options touch on related features—winds toward the center would imply convergence typical of a low-pressure system, and while sinking air is part of high pressure, the description is awkward and not as direct. The wind pattern described in one of the choices is true for high pressure, but the defining feature is the elevated central pressure itself.