If weather were a rock band, atmospheric pressure might be the bassist — sitting in the background, not quite the center of attention, but crucial to driving the tempo and tone.

Its rapid release of energy powered an ocean tsunami that caused damage as far away as the U.S. West Coast, but it also generated pressure waves in the atmosphere that quickly spread around the world.

In low pressure systems, the rising air can carry water vapor into the colder reaches of the atmosphere, where it can condense and turn into rain. But the high pressure system affecting Texas is ...

Its rapid release of energy powered an ocean tsunami that caused damage as far away as the U.S. West Coast, but it also generated pressure waves in the atmosphere that quickly spread around the world.