The wind pattern also changes with altitude. The air flows as a mass and like the oceans they can be layered within the troposphere. The warming and cooling of the air masses can change the direction rapidly. However, the Coriolis Effect will always imprint the general circulation pattern.

The land will also play a part in some areas more than others. For example, the air over the Indian Ocean does not change as quickly as the air masses over the Eurasian continent. This causes major directions of wind depending on the season, which are cause monsoons. These are seasonal changes in wind patterns.