<p>You are correct that air generally moves along the surface from high pressure towards low pressure (not directly, but deflected due to the coriolis effect).</p>

<p>However, this does not imply that it is moving from a colder area to a warmer area. And, there is nothing contradictory in a cool air mass moving horizontally to displace a warm air mass.</p>

<p><em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extratropical_cyclone" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Extratropical cyclones</a></em> (a kind of low pressure system found in mid latitudes) are actually related to the movement of a cold front <em>and</em> a warm front, as part of a frontal wave. They drive cold <em>and</em> warm air masses to move.</p>

<p>Your claim that "air moves from warm object to a cold object" might be the root of your misunderstanding. That claim isn't true. It <em>is</em> true that <em>heat</em> will move from a warmer object to a cooler object through conduction and radiation. But that is not related to whether the air itself will move. A local effect called a "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_breeze" rel="nofollow noreferrer">sea breeze</a>" demonstrates the opposite scenario. A hot beach creates a warm, rising column of air (and a local area of low pressure), bringing in cooler air from the ocean to replace it.</p>

<p>You have conflated the transfer of <em>heat</em> with the movement of <em>air</em> and <em>air masses</em>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-08T19:07:57.597Z
In case of objects with different temperatures, the heat moves from hot body to cold body,  to maintain equilibrium.
Harika
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-08T19:10:54.047Z
I know that the air moves from high pressure to low pressure, but want to know how and why its movement 
is contradictory to the movement of air from hot body to cold body.
Harika
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-08T19:47:50.037Z
Understood after reading -https://www.lordgrey.org.uk/~f014/usefulresources/aric/Resources/Teaching_Packs/Key_Stage_4/Weather_Climate/03.html
Harika
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-13T09:07:08.393Z
@user3747888 air does not move from hot to cold. Heat does move like that, but not air.
Gimelist
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-08T19:00:30.477Z
2018-10-08T19:11:05.070Z
2018-10-08T19:11:05.070Z
torbjorn
<p>By air moving from high pressure area to low pressure area means that it's moving from colder area to a warmer area,  are they both not contradictory? I might have understood something in a wrong way, pls help. </p>

<temperature><barometric-pressure><air-currents><air>
When it is said that air moves from warm object to a cold object, how is it possible that air moves from high pressure area to low pressure area?
Harika
# When it is said that air moves from warm object to a cold object, how is it possible that air moves from high pressure area to low pressure area?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-10-08)

By air moving from high pressure area to low pressure area means that it's moving from colder area to a warmer area, are they both not contradictory? I might have understood something in a wrong way, pls help.

**Tags:** temperature, barometric-pressure, air-currents, air


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-10-08. Score: 4

You are correct that air generally moves along the surface from high pressure towards low pressure (not directly, but deflected due to the coriolis effect).

However, this does not imply that it is moving from a colder area to a warmer area. And, there is nothing contradictory in a cool air mass moving horizontally to displace a warm air mass.

*[Extratropical cyclones](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extratropical_cyclone)* (a kind of low pressure system found in mid latitudes) are actually related to the movement of a cold front *and* a warm front, as part of a frontal wave. They drive cold *and* warm air masses to move.

Your claim that "air moves from warm object to a cold object" might be the root of your misunderstanding. That claim isn't true. It *is* true that *heat* will move from a warmer object to a cooler object through conduction and radiation. But that is not related to whether the air itself will move. A local effect called a "[sea breeze](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_breeze)" demonstrates the opposite scenario. A hot beach creates a warm, rising column of air (and a local area of low pressure), bringing in cooler air from the ocean to replace it.

You have conflated the transfer of *heat* with the movement of *air* and *air masses*.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: In case of objects with different temperatures, the heat moves from hot body to cold body,  to maintain equilibrium.  
> **username_0**: I know that the air moves from high pressure to low pressure, but want to know how and why its movement  is contradictory to the movement of air from hot body to cold body.  
> **username_0**: Understood after reading -https://www.lordgrey.org.uk/~f014/usefulresources/aric/Resources/Teaching_Packs/Key_Stage_4/Weather_Climate/03.html  
> **username_2**: @user3747888 air does not move from hot to cold. Heat does move like that, but not air.  

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