Weather and Climate Relevance
Differences in air pressure between different locations are critical in weather forecasting and climate. As indicated above, the pressure gradient constitutes one of the main forces acting on the air to make it move as wind. Note that the pressure gradient force points from high towards low pressure zones, it is thus oriented in the opposite direction from the pressure gradient itself.
Sound waves and shock waves are events that can induce very large pressure gradients, but these are often transitory disturbances.
Read more about this topic: Pressure Gradient
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