Wind is the natural movement of air in the Earth's atmosphere. It is caused by the uneven heating of the Earth's surface by the sun, which creates differences in air pressure. As air moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure, it creates what we perceive as wind. Here are some key characteristics and descriptions of wind:
Direction: Wind is described by the direction from which it is blowing. For example, a north wind blows from the north to the south.
Speed: Wind speed is typically measured in units such as meters per second (m/s), kilometers per hour (km/h), or miles per hour (mph). The speed of the wind can vary widely, from calm conditions with barely perceptible breezes to strong gusts during a storm.
Strength: Wind strength is often classified on various scales, such as the Beaufort Scale, which ranges from calm (0) to hurricane force (12). Each level on the scale corresponds to a range of wind speeds and their effects on the environment.
Gusts: Wind gusts are sudden, brief increases in wind speed that can be significantly stronger than the prevailing wind. Gusts are often associated with weather events like thunderstorms or frontal passages.
Effects: Wind can have various effects on the environment, including:
Erosion: Strong winds can erode soil and affect the landscape over time.
Transportation: Wind can impact travel, especially for vehicles like airplanes and sailboats.
Weather: Wind plays a crucial role in weather patterns, helping to distribute heat and moisture around the globe.
Energy: Wind can be harnessed as a renewable energy source through wind turbines to generate electricity.
Local Patterns: Wind patterns can vary greatly depending on geographic location and terrain. For example, coastal areas often experience onshore and offshore winds influenced by the proximity of the ocean, while mountainous regions may have unique wind patterns due to the interaction with the terrain.
Wind Chill: Wind can make the air feel colder than the actual temperature because it enhances heat loss from the body. This effect is known as wind chill, and it's important to consider in cold weather.
Windsocks and Wind Vanes: Wind direction is often indicated using windsocks or wind vanes, which are instruments that show the prevailing wind direction.
Wind in Meteorology: Meteorologists study wind patterns and speeds as a critical part of weather forecasting. Understanding wind helps predict weather changes, storm development, and atmospheric circulation.
In summary, wind is the movement of air caused by differences in air pressure, and it plays a vital role in our daily lives, weather patterns, and various natural processes.
4. Winds are created by
•Heating the air, decreases pressure (warm air rises creating a
low pressure)
•Cool air rushes into replace the warm air
(cooler dense air, produces high pressure)
•As air goes from high to low pressure, winds form.
5. Wind Is Abiotic Components
Often abiotic factors are affected by other
factors. This is especially evident with wind. The
wind speed and direction affects the
temperature in humidity of an area. Very high
wind speeds, often in mountainous areas, may
lead to stunted plant growth and limit the types
of life that can thrive in the area.
7. Strong winds also
occur in low latitudes
due to stronger
heating and steeper
pressure gradients.
Hurricanes and
tornadoes are both
tropical phenomena.
Hurricane in Florida Tornado inUSA
Wind strength
depends on
the difference
in pressure
between the
high and low
pressure
systems, and
the distance
between
them.
This is called the
PRESSURE
GRADIENT it is
the spacing of the
isobars which
indicates the
pressure changes
occurring over a
given distance.
ISOBARS are line
connecting places of
equal pressure.
8. CORIOLIS EFFECT
HIGH Theoretical wind
which would
m
Actualwind
�The earth’s rotation
diverts this wind direction
laterally.This force is
t called theCORIOLIS
FORCE.
� TheCoriolis force diverts
wind the right in the
northern hemisphere; to
the left in the south.
� The effect is stronger at
high altitude where
ground level friction is less
significant.
HIGH
In the north,result
s
o
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l
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w
i
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f
r
o
blow clockwisepressure
gradien
out from a high
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south, theyLblOWow
which blows, as
diverted by
Coriolis Force
LOW
In the north, winds
blow anti-clockwise
into a low pressure
system. In the south,
they blow clockwise.
anti-clockwise).
9. Strong polar winds due
to low friction
Beach windbreaks reduce
wind speed by increasing
friction
11. Local Winds
winds we frequently encounter and these blow in
any direction.
produced on a local scale by processes of heating
and cooling of lower air.
12. Two Categories of Local Winds
Katabatic Wind
a category includes local winds in hilly
or mountainous regions, where on clear
and clam nights, heat is rapidly lost by
ground radiation.
This produces a layer of cold.
Katabatic Wind usually felt
on the great ice caps of
Greenland and Antarctica
13. Convection Wind
a category that includes land and
sea breezes.
land and sea breezes are limited to periods of
generally warm, clear weather when regional
wind flows is weak, but they form an
important element of the summer climate
along coasts.
14. SEA BREEZE
On a warm summer day along the coast, this differential heating of land
and sea leads to the development of local winds called sea breezes. As air
above the land surface is heated by radiation from the Sun, it expands
and begins to rise, being lighter than the surrounding air. To replace the
rising air, cooler air is drawn in from above the surface of the sea. This
is the sea breeze, and can offer a pleasant cooling influence on hot
summer afternoons.
15. LAND BREEZE
A land breeze occurs at night when the land cools faster than the
sea. In this case, it is air above the warmer surface water that is
heated and rises, pulling in air from the cooler land surface.
16.
17. Prevailing Winds
winds that blow from the same
direction and most often travel long
distances.
also known as PERMANENT WINDS
or PLANETARY WINDS.
it is sub divided in to the trade
winds, anti trade winds, and polar
winds.
18. Two factors That Affect the
Direction Of Prevailing
Winds
Unequal heating of the
earth’s surface
Earth’s rotation
19. Prevailing Winds in the
Philippines
• Northeast Monsoon (Amihan)
• Southwest Monsoon (Habagat)
20. Monsoon
a wind system involving a huge
convection current between continent
and ocean
21. Amihan (Northeast
Monsoon)
It is characterized by moderate temperatures,
little or no rainfall, and a prevailing wind
from the east.
