Why do surface winds blow from a high-pressure area toward a nearby low-pressure area in the lower atmosphere?

Introduction / Context:
A fundamental rule in meteorology is that winds at the surface generally blow from areas of higher pressure to areas of lower pressure. This rule explains the direction of winds around highs and lows on weather maps and helps us understand local winds such as sea breezes and monsoon flows. The question focuses on the physical reason behind this movement.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We have a high-pressure area (anticyclone) and a nearby low-pressure area (cyclone or trough) at the surface.
• Air can move horizontally in response to forces such as pressure gradient, Coriolis, and friction.
• Rising motion is associated with low pressure, and sinking motion with high pressure.
• We focus on the basic cause of wind direction near the surface.

Concept / Approach:
Low-pressure areas are regions where air is rising. As air goes upward, it removes mass from the near surface layer, reducing pressure. High-pressure areas are regions where air is sinking and accumulating near the surface, building up mass and pressure. This creates a horizontal pressure gradient from high to low. The pressure gradient force acts from higher pressure toward lower pressure and pushes air along the surface from the high-pressure region into the low-pressure region to fill the deficit created by rising air.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Synoptic weather maps show winds spiralling inward toward low-pressure systems and outward from high-pressure systems. These patterns match the idea that air flows from high to low pressure, modified by Coriolis and friction. Sea breezes, for example, arise because pressure becomes lower over heated land than over cooler sea, causing air to flow from sea (relative high) to land (relative low).

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A confuses temperature with pressure; although temperature can influence pressure, the direction of wind is controlled primarily by pressure gradient, not just hot to cold. Option C incorrectly ties the flow to humidity differences, which do not directly drive winds. Option D reverses the effect of Earth's rotation; the Coriolis force deflects moving air but does not create the high to low pressure flow. Option E focuses on terrain rather than pressure, ignoring that winds often cross level surfaces driven by pressure differences.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes think that air moves from cold to warm or from heavy to light without considering the pressure field. Another pitfall is to attribute wind direction solely to the Coriolis effect, forgetting that Coriolis only modifies motion that already exists due to pressure gradients. Keeping the idea of high to low pressure flow central helps avoid these errors.

Final Answer:
Surface winds blow from high to low pressure primarily because rising air over the low-pressure area removes air near the surface, and air from the high-pressure area flows in to replace it, under the action of the pressure gradient force.