What causes atmospheric pressure and why does it change with altitude and does atmospheric pressure affects the movement of air?
Altitude increases, the amount of gas molecules in the air decreases the air becomes less dense than air nearer to sea level. This is what meteorologists and mountaineers mean by "thin air." Thin air exerts less pressure than air at a lower altitude. Air that moves horizontally between high and low pressure zones makes wind. The greater the pressure difference between the pressure zones the faster the wind moves. Convection in the atmosphere creates the planet's weather. At various elevations of the atmosphere, the air is not the same. Near the earth, it is denser. As we ascend, it thins away. Because In the atmosphere, gravity holds most of the molecules close to the earths surface so air pressure drops quickly at first and then more slowly as height increases. Atmospheric pressure is denser near the earth. It goes on thinning out as we go up. So, there being more air near the earth, there is more air pressure. As the amount of air goes on decreasing, its weight and the air pressure goes on decreasing consequently. When we move upwards from the earth's surface, the number of gas molecules in the air decreases, and air become less dense compared to air near the earth's surface. So, air exerts less pressure at higher altitudes resulting in a decrease in atmospheric pressure.
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