How does surface wind compare to wind at 3000 ft?

The correct choice accurately describes the behavior of surface winds in comparison to winds at an altitude of 3000 ft.

At the surface, wind is influenced significantly by friction with the Earth's terrain, which causes it to behave differently than the winds aloft. Due to this friction, surface wind typically blows across isobars rather than along them. Isobars are lines on a weather map connecting points of equal atmospheric pressure. The pressure gradient force, which drives the wind, accelerates air from high pressure to low pressure; however, because of surface friction, the wind direction is modified, thereby causing it to cross the isobars at an angle.

Additionally, wind speed at the surface is generally less than that at 3000 ft primarily because of this same frictional effect. As altitude increases, the diminishing impact of ground friction allows winds to achieve higher speeds and align more closely with isobars. Therefore, the phenomenon of surface wind blowing across isobars and being less than the wind at 3000 ft is fundamental to understanding meteorology and the effects of terrain on wind behavior.