Geography R19
Local Climate: Aspect, Inversions and Valley Winds
Understand why opposite slopes heat differently, how cold air collects on a valley floor, and how anabatic and katabatic winds develop.
12 min · beginner · certificate
Geography Step 5 of 11 beginner
High and Low Pressure Cells
Learn how Highs and Lows differ in pressure, vertical air movement and surface circulation, and why each brings the weather it does.
By the end, you can
distinguish a High from a Low and describe their air movement in the Southern Hemisphere.
This MicroQuest isn't available right now. It may be being updated. See other High School MicroQuests.
MicroQuests are paused for a moment. Please check back shortly.
Free preview
Read the first lesson
This is exactly how High and Low Pressure Cells starts, in your browser or on WhatsApp. Short messages, real examples, one step at a time.
Carry on from here →skillSYMS LearnChat
High and Low Pressure Cells
QUEST GEO-HIGH-LOW
Two engines, opposite directions
Almost every weather question in Grade 12 comes back to one thing: is the air going down or up?
That single fact decides the cloud, the rain, the wind and the temperature. Get the vertical movement right and the rest follows without memorising anything. 🌤️
South Africa sits under the influence of three semi-permanent Highs — the South Atlantic, the South Indian and the Kalahari High — which is why so much of the country is dry for so much of the year.
Reply NEXT to continue ▸
What you'll cover
- 1 Two engines, opposite directionsfree preview above
- 2 Down means dry, up means wet
- 3 The High at the surface
- 4 The Low at the surface
- 5 The weather a Low brings
- 6 Read the isobars
- 7 Answering the question in the exam
- 8 The challenge
- 9 What to take with you
Your certificate
Pass the challenge and it arrives straight away as a PDF. Add it to your CV or LinkedIn, and anyone can check it's real.
Certificate of completion
Your name here
has completed the MicroQuest
High and Low Pressure Cells
LCA-2026-••••••••
Verify at skillsyms.com/verify
Next on the Geography path · step 6 of 11
Interpret Physical and Human Features on Maps
13 min · R19
You might also like
Geography R19
Map Calculations: Distance, Area, Gradient and Magnetic Declination
Learn the four mapwork calculations, the formula for each, and how to check an answer is sensible before you write it down.
14 min · beginner · certificate
Geography R19
Mid-Latitude and Tropical Cyclones
Separate mid-latitude cyclones from tropical cyclones by where they form, how they are built and the weather each one brings.
12 min · beginner · certificate
Geography R19
Read a River Hydrograph
Learn what a hydrograph shows, how to read discharge, flood peak, time lag and the receding limb, and what makes the shape steep or gentle.
12 min · beginner · certificate
Geography R19
River Profiles, Meanders and River Capture
Learn to read river profiles, explain how a meander erodes and deposits, and recognise the features left behind by river capture.
13 min · beginner · certificate
The whole Geography path → All High School MicroQuests → Browse all 134 →
Know someone who needs this?
Send it to a colleague, a friend or your class group.
For employers, schools and training providers
Train a whole team, one short step at a time
Toolbox talks, inductions, refreshers and revision that people finish, because each one fits in a tea break and runs on the phone they already carry.
Need a topic we don't have? Request it. The topics people ask for most are the ones we write next.
-
Give MicroQuests or credits
Your people get a WhatsApp message or an email link and learn on their own phones. No logins to manage.
-
Pin a QR poster
Print an A4 poster for the canteen, staffroom or site office. A scan opens the MicroQuest.
-
Verifiable certificates
Every completion has a numbered certificate you can check online, which is useful for toolbox talks and inductions.
-
Your own MicroQuests
skillSYMS clients publish their own MicroQuests (policies, site rules, product knowledge) for their own people.
High and Low Pressure Cells: questions
How long does High and Low Pressure Cells take?
About 12 minutes: 9 short lessons, 2 quick checks and a 5-question final challenge. Your progress is saved after every step, so you can stop and carry on later.
How much does High and Low Pressure Cells cost?
R19, paid securely online, or 19 learning credits from your wallet. You pay once: if you don’t pass the challenge, you try again at no extra cost.
What do I need to pass?
4 out of 5 on the final challenge (80%). The quick checks along the way help you learn and do not count towards your mark.
Is the certificate accredited?
No. A MicroQuest is informal learning. Your certificate proves you completed it and has a number and QR code anyone can verify, but it is not an accredited qualification or SETA/QCTO credits, and it says so.
Can I do it on my phone?
Yes. Tap Start to learn in your phone’s browser, or send QUEST GEO-HIGH-LOW to 076 263 6000 on WhatsApp. It is the same MicroQuest and the same certificate either way.
High and Low Pressure Cells
R19 · 12 min · certificate