What do closely spaced isobars indicate?

What do closely spaced isobars indicate?

• A. Weaker wind speeds.
• B. No wind at all.
• C. Stronger pressure gradient and stronger winds.
• D. Lower pressure.

Answer: (C)

Closely spaced isobars indicate a steep horizontal pressure gradient: the pressure changes over a short distance. The pressure gradient force pushing air from high to low pressure is stronger when this gradient is large, so winds increase until other forces (like Coriolis effect and surface friction) balance them. That’s why tight isobar spacing means stronger winds. Conversely, widely spaced isobars show a weaker gradient and lighter winds. The spacing itself doesn’t tell you the absolute pressure level (low vs high); you can have strong winds around both low- and high-pressure areas if the gradient is steep.

Closely spaced isobars indicate a steep horizontal pressure gradient: the pressure changes over a short distance. The pressure gradient force pushing air from high to low pressure is stronger when this gradient is large, so winds increase until other forces (like Coriolis effect and surface friction) balance them. That’s why tight isobar spacing means stronger winds. Conversely, widely spaced isobars show a weaker gradient and lighter winds. The spacing itself doesn’t tell you the absolute pressure level (low vs high); you can have strong winds around both low- and high-pressure areas if the gradient is steep.