Wind Flashcards
Winds
Wind- movement of air
Advection: Horizontal Movement
Convection: Vertical Movement
Wind velocity
- wind DIRECTION and wind SPEED
Veering
Varying winds with increase in heading
Backing
Varying winds with decrease in heading
Gust
– A sudden increase in wind velocity
– Associated with a change in direction
– Few seconds and local
Lull
– A sudden decrease in velocity
Squalls
– A sudden increase in wind velocity direction
– Associated with Cold Front and Thunderstorms
Gales
– Defined as winds exceeding 33 Knots
Cyclones, Typhoons and Hurricanes
– Wind speeds exceeding 63 knots
Sea Breeze
a localized wind that blows from the sea towards the land, primarily occurring during the day due to the temperature difference between the land and the sea.
Land breeze
A land breeze is a local wind that blows from land to sea, typically occurring at night and early morning, as the land cools faster than the water, creating a pressure difference.
anabatic winds
An anabatic wind, also known as an upslope wind, is a warm wind that blows up a steep slope or mountain side, driven by the heating of the slope through insolation (sunlight).
katabatic winds
Katabatic winds are downslope winds, driven by gravity, that occur when cold, dense air flows down slopes or mountainsides.
Fohn winds
- A dry warm wind which blows on the downwind side of a mountain
- Moist air rises up the windward side of a mountain, cools, and condenses, releasing latent heat as precipitation (rain or snow).
- Also known as a Chinook
Surface friction layer
-Flow of wind from ground level to 2,000ft.
-Obstacles on Earth
Coriolis effect
- Effect caused by the rotation of Earth on wind movement
- Coriolis effect causes the wind to deflect to the RIGHT when viewed from the Earth in the North Hemisphere.
-Coriolis effect causes the wind to deflect to the LEFT when viewed from the Earth in the South Hemisphere.
Global circulation pattern
Global circulation patterns, driven by uneven solar heating and Earth’s rotation, involve three main circulation cells (Hadley, Ferrel, and Polar) in each hemisphere, redistributing heat and moisture and influencing weather and climate patterns.
Geostrophic winds (Wind models)
– Wind which is balanced by PGF and Coriolis Force
– Wind flows parallel to isobars
Gradient Winds (Wind Models)
– A wind that blows parallel to curved isobars
– “tug of war” between PGF and Coriolis Force
