ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Atmospheric wave

An atmospheric wave is like when you throw a pebble in a pond and see the ripples that spread out. But instead of water, it's the air around us that moves up and down, in a pattern that goes around the Earth. These waves happen because of differences in air temperature and pressure, changing as we move higher into the sky. The waves can travel huge distances, from one side of the planet to the other, and affect things like the weather and the flight paths of airplanes. They might be hard to see, but they're always around us, shaping the world we live in.
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