Trying to truly understand high- and low-pressure systems, I find explanations contradicting. The question is: Where is the mistake in my line of thoughts?
Looking from a surface point of view:
- More sun = more heat.
- More heat = higher ground pressure (just like heating a bottle)
- Higher ground pressure = Hot air wants to expend to all directions
- Expending air (also) the vertical axis = rising air, cloud formation.
That is coherent with the notions
- that high-pressure areas come from the equator while low-pressure areas come from the poles
- that there is a circulation of air rising around the equator and sinking at the poles.
But it conflicts with the notion
- that air sinks into high-pressure areas and
- hence high-pressure areas have fewer clouds than low-pressure areas.
If I flip everything, that conflict is solved while suddenly global circulation and "H from Equator" doesn't fit into the picture.
Additionally, it seems that sometimes air sinks, creating the higher pressure underneath, and other times it starts with the high pressure and air rises. So I might assume that both high and low pressure can origin from both high and low temperatures, and at both, air can rise or fall. Or in other words: whatever, it's free-for-all.
Where is my mistake?