The wind is a horizontal and evenly moving air flow relative to the surface of the Earth. There is a huge set of local winds, to explain which is impossible on the example of conventional observations due to the specific features characteristic of them characteristic of a certain region. So, talking about what winds on the coast are, allow, for example, such observations: the breeze blows at noon from the sea - cool, gentle, and at night the same wind moves from sushi towards the sea. In the deserts and mountainous areas "live" mostly mountain or valley winds. However, there are types of winds that apply to the entire planet as a whole.

What are the winds

  1. Musson - wind with a periodic character, and carrying a lot of moisture. In winter, the monsoon blows from sushi to the ocean, and in the summer - on the side of the ocean on the land. Muscals are mostly dominated in a tropical belt and are in their essence seasonal winds, lasting in several months of each year.
  2. Passat - winds with a constant character moving with a rather stable force of three or four points. The trade winds are moving in almost one direction, sometimes slightly deviating. Such a dynamics of motion leads to stirring of the air masses of the planet, up to global scale: for example, trade winds that follow the Atlantic Ocean can carry dust particles from African deserts to the territory of West Indies and several North American districts.
  3. Local winds:
    • Breeze - breeze warm, blowing from the territory of the coast at night (coastal breeze) and in the opposite direction (sea breeze). The main generators of preferential winds in the areas of the coarse are marine and continental breeze. Due to the fact that the sea (reservoir) heats up slower than the sushi because of the greater water heat capacity, the air is stronger than the air rises upwards, forming a reduced pressure zone. This produces a drop of atmospheric pressure between air flows and a cool sea breeze is born in the coast.

      At night, in mind the smaller heat capacity, the dryer is faster, and the marine breeze is stopped. At a time when the sushi temperature turns out to be lower on the surface of the reservoir, the reverse pressure drop is formed, creating (if there is no strong wind from the sea) continental breeze moving from sushi towards the sea.

    • Bora is a wind with a cold sharp character moving from the mountains on the territory of the coast or valley.
    • Fashion - dry, strong and warm wind, which moves from the mountains to the territory of the Valley or the coast.
    • Sirocco is the name in the Italian language of the south-western or strong southern wind, formed in the Sahara desert.
  4. Variables and constant winds.

    The nature of the movement of the air masses also helps to understand what winds are. So, variable winds are capable of changing their direction. These include the above-considered breeze (translated from the French "Breeze" means light wind), as they change the direction of their movement twice a day (day and night).

    Mussons are born as well as breeze. They change the direction of their movement twice a year after season (in summer and winter). Arab name of the wind "Musson" translated and means "season". When the summer monsoon is formed, thunderstorm rains are coming due to severe air saturation with sea water, and in winter, dry and cold air moves with sushi.

  5. Also, winds can also be described as a gusty and lungs, or give them the name, taking into account the direction of their movement, for example: East, South-West, etc.

The wind is one of the most unique natural phenomena. We cannot see it, touch, but are able to observe the results of his manifestation, for example, how he slowly, or quickly drives the clouds and clouds across the sky, tilts the trees to the Earth or slightly trepal foliage.

Concept of wind

What is the wind? Determining from the point of view of meteorology The following: This is a horizontal movement of air layers from a high-atmospheric zone in a low zone, accompanied by a certain speed. This movement occurs because during the day the sun permeates the air layer of the Earth. Some rays, reaching the surface, heat the oceans, the sea, rivers, mountains, soil, rocks and stones, which are in the air heat, thereby heating and it. For the same amount of time, dark items absorb more heat and warmer harder.

But what value is how heat is given and how fast? And how will it help us find out what kind of wind? The definition is as follows: the dryer is heated rapidly than water, which means that the air clustered over it receives heat from it and rises up, therefore, the atmospheric pressure over this area drops. With water, everything is exactly the opposite: the air masses are colder and the pressure is higher. As a result, the cold air is measured from the high pressure section into the low area, forming the wind. The greater the difference between these pressures, the more stronger.

Types of winds

Having understood what kind of wind, you need to know how much its species exists and what they differ from each other. Three main groups of winds are distinguished:

  • local;
  • constant;
  • regional.

Local winds correspond to their name and blow only in certain territories of our planet. Their appearance is associated with the specifics of local reliefs and changes in temperature in relatively short periods of time. These winds are characterized by low length and daily frequency.

What is the wind of local origin, is now clear, but he is divided into his subspecies:

  • Breeze is a light wind, which per day twice changes the direction. In the afternoon blowing from the sea to the land, and at night, on the contrary.
  • Bora is a strong-speed cold air flow that blows from the vertices of the mountains to the valley or coast. He is inconstant.
  • Fashion - warm and light spring wind.
  • Sukhov - a dry wind, prevailing in steppe areas in a warm period of time in the conditions of anticyclone. He foreshadows drought.
  • Sirocco - rapid southern, southwestern air flows, which are formed in Sahara.
  • And what is the wind Hamsin? These are dusty, dry and hot air masses prevailing in northeastern Africa and the East of the Mediterranean.

Continuous winds include those depending on the cumulative air circulation. They are stable, uniform, constant and strong. They belong to them:

  • passat - wind from the east, differ in constancy, not changing direction and strength of 3-4 points;
  • antipassatats - wind from the west carrying huge air masses.

The regional wind appears as a result of pressure drops, slightly similar to the local, but more stable and powerful. A bright representative of this species is the monsoon, which originates in the tropics, at the turn with the ocean. It blows periodically, but by large-scale streams, changing his direction a couple of times a year: during the summer season - from water to land, during the winter season - on the contrary. Musson brings a lot of moisture in the form of rains.

Strong wind is ...

What is a strong wind and how does it differ from other streams? His main feature is a high speed that fluctuates in the range of 14-32 m / s. It produces devastating actions or brings damage, destruction. In addition to speed, the temperature, direction, place and duration is also valid.

Types of strong winds

  • Typhoon (Hurricane) is accompanied by a saturated precipitation and a decay of temperature, a large force, speed (177 km / h or more), blowing at a distance of 20-200 m for several days.
  • What is the wind, which is called a squall? This is a sharp, sudden flow at a speed of 72-108 km / h, which is formed in the hot period as a result of the powerful penetration of cold air into the warm zone. It blows over a couple of seconds or dozens of minutes, changing the direction, and brings a decrease in temperature.
  • Storm: its speed is 103-120 km / h. It is characterized by a high duration, force. He is a source of strong marine oscillations and destruction on Earth.

  • Tornado (Tornado) - air whirlwind, visually similar to a dark pillar, along which a curved axis passes. Below and at the top of the post there are extensions, similar to a funnel. Air in the whirlwind is spinning counterclockwise at a speed of 300 km / h and delays all nearby objects, objects into his funnel. Pressure inside tornado reduced. In the height of the pillar reaches 1500 m, and its diameter is from a dozen (above water) to hundreds of meters (above the ground). The tornado can go from the pair of hundred meters to tens of kilometers at a speed of 60 km / h.
  • The storm is an air mass, the speed of which is in the range of 62-100 km / h. Storms are abundantly covered with sand, dust, snow, earth, causing harm to people and farm.

Description of wind power

Answering the question of what the strength of the wind will appropriate to notice that here the concept of power is interrelated at speed: the higher it is higher, the stronger the wind. This indicator is measured according to the 13-point Bafort scale. The zero value characterizes the calm, 3 points - lightweight, weak wind, 7 - powerful, 9 - the appearance of a storm, over nine - merciless storms, hurricanes. Strong winds often blow over the sea, the ocean, because it does not interfere with them here, unlike the rocky mountains, hills, forests.

Definition of solar wind

What is solar wind? This is an amazing phenomenon. Ionized plasma particles flow from the solar crown (outer layer) into space with a speed range of 300-1200 km / s, which depends on the activity of the Sun.

There are slow (400 km / s), fast (700 km / s), high-speed (up to 1200 km / s) Solar winds. They around the central heavenly luminaries form an area with space that protects the solar system from entering the interstellar gas. In addition, thanks to them on our planet, such phenomena occur as a radiation belt and polar shine. That's what a sunny wind is.

Moving in a certain direction. On other planets, it represents a mass of their surfaces of gases. On the ground, the wind moves mainly horizontally. The classification is usually carried out in accordance with the speed, scale, types of forces, which cause them, distribution places. Under the influence of flows there are various natural phenomena and weather. The wind contributes to the transfer of dust, plant seeds, contributes to the movement of flying animals. But how does the directional air flow appear? Where does the wind blow? What does its duration and force depend on? And in general, why do winds blow? About this and many other things - further in the article.

Classification

First of all, winds are characterized by strength, direction and duration. Gusts are considered strong and short-term movements (up to a few seconds) of air flow. If a strong wind blows a medium duration (approximately a minute), then it is called a squall. More prolonged air flows are called according to their strength. So, for example, a light wind blowing on the coast is a breeze. There is still Typhoon, the duration of the winds can also be different. Some last a few minutes, for example. Breeze, depending on the temperature difference on the surface of the relief during the day, can last up to several hours. Local and general circulation of the atmosphere add up from trade winds and monsoon. Both of these types belong to the category of "global" winds. Monsoons are caused by seasonal changes in temperature and have a duration of up to several months. Passats are constantly moving. They are due to temperature differences on different latitudes.

How to explain to the child why the wind blows?

For children at an early age, this phenomenon represents a separate interest. The child does not understand where the air flow is formed, which is why it is in one place, and in the other - no. It is enough just to explain the baby that in winter, for example, the cold wind blows due to low temperatures. How does this process take place? It is known that the air flow is a mass of atmospheric gas molecules, jointly moving in one direction. Small over the volume of the air flow, blowing can whistle, tear the caps with passersby. But if the mass of gas molecules has a large volume and a few kilometers wide, it can cover a sufficiently large distance. In closed rooms, the air is practically not moved. And you can even forget about its existence. But if you put, for example, a hand from the windows of a moving car, then you can feel the skin of the air flow, its strength and pressure. Where does the wind blow? The flow movement is carried out due to the pressure difference in different sections of the atmosphere. Consider this process in more detail.

Difference of atmospheric pressure

So why does the wind blowing? For children, it is better to bring a dam in an example. On the one hand, the height of the pole of water, for example, three, and on the other - six meters. When opening gateways, water flows into that section where it is less. Approximately the same thing happens with air flows. In different parts of the atmosphere, the pressure is different. This is due to the difference in temperature. In warm air, the movement of molecules is carried out faster. Particles strive to fly apart from each other in different directions. In connection with this, warm air is more discharged and weighs less. As a result, the pressure that is created in it is reduced. If the temperature is lowered, the molecules form closer accumulations. Air, respectively, weighs more. The pressure is increasing. Similar to water, the air has a property to flow from one zone to another. Thus, the flow moves from a plot with high pressure to the area with reduced. That is why winds blow.

Flow movement near reservoirs

Why does the wind blowing from the sea? Consider an example. On a sunny day, the rays warm and coast and the reservoir. But the water heats up much slower. This is due to the fact that the surface warm layers immediately begin to mix with deeper, and therefore cold layers. But the coast is heated much faster. And the air above it is more discharged, and the pressure, respectively, is lower. Atmospheric streams rushed from the reservoir to the shore - to a more free area. There they are heating, climb up, freeing the place again. Instead, a cool stream appears again. This is how air circulation occurs. On the beach, vacationers can periodically feel a light cool breeze.

Value value

Finding out why winds blow, it should be said about what impact they are on life on earth. The wind is of great importance for human civilization. The vortex streams inspired people to create mythological works, expanded the trade and cultural range, influenced historical phenomena. The winds also performed as energy suppliers for different mechanisms and aggregates. Due to the movement of air flows, they were able to overcome considerable distances across the oceans and seas, and balloons in the sky. For modern aircraft, winds have great practical importance - they allow you to save fuel and increase but it should be said that air flows can be harmful to man. So, for example, due to the gradient vibrations of the wind, control of the aircraft control can be lost. In small water bodies, fast air flows and the waves caused by them can destroy the construction. In many cases, winds contribute to an increase in the scale of the fire. In general, phenomena associated with the formation of air flows, in various ways affect living nature.

Global effects

In many areas of the planet, air masses predominate with a certain direction of movement. In the area of \u200b\u200bthe Pole, as a rule, the eastern, and in moderate latitudes - Western winds. At the same time, in the tropics, the air flows take the eastern direction again. On the borders between these zones - the subtropical ridge and the polar front - there are so-called regions of the clutch. The prevailing winds in these zones are practically absent. Here the air movement is mainly vertically. This explains the emergence of high humidity zones (near the polar front) and deserts (near the subtropical ridge).

Tropics

In this part of the planet in the western direction, the trade winds blow, approaching the equator. Due to the constant movement of these air flows, the atmospheric masses on Earth occurs. This can manifest itself in a significant scale. So, for example, the Passats, moving above the Atlantic Ocean, tolerate dust from African desert areas in West India and some areas of North America.

Local effects of air mass formation

Finding out why winds blow, it should be said about the effect of the presence of certain geographical objects. One of the local effects of the formation of the air masses is the temperature difference between not too remote areas. It can be triggered by different light absorption coefficients or different surface heat capacity. The strongest of the last effect is manifested between and land. As a result, breeze arises. Another local factor representing the importance is the presence of mining systems.

Influence of mountains

These systems can be a kind of barrier on the way of movement of air flows. In addition, the mountains in many cases themselves cause wind formation. The air over the swells is heated stronger than atmospheric masses above the lowlands at the same height. This contributes to the formation of low pressure zones over mountain ranges and wind formation. This effect often provokes the appearance of mining and valve atmospheric moving masses. Such winds prevail in areas with rough terrain.

The increase in friction in the valley surface leads to the deviation of a parallel directional air flow to the height of the mountains located nearby. This contributes to the formation of a jet altitude flow. The speed of this stream may exceed the ambient wind power to 45%. As it was above said, the mountains can act as an obstacle. When traversed the circuit, the flow changes its direction and strength. Differs in the mountain ranges have a significant impact on the wind movement. For example, if at the mountain range, which the atmospheric mass overcomes is passing, then the flow passes it with a noticeable increase in speed. In this case, the Bernoulli effect works. It should be noted that even insignificant height differences cause oscillations due to a substantial air velocity gradient, the flow becomes turbulent and continues to remain even behind the mountain on the plain at a certain distance. Such effects represent in some cases a special meaning. For example, they are important for aircraft carrying out take off and landing on mountain airfields.

The wind is a flow of air moving in nature horizontally relative to the Earth. We do not see it, but if you get face to the wind, then we feel a pleasant touch, not comparable to anything. The wind can be warm, cold, impust, hurricane, frosty, strong, weak. It can be everywhere, regardless of the city is or village, rivers or mountains, seas or oceans.

The wind is formed due to the fact that some parts of the earth warmed unevenly, thereby forming warm or cold air. Blowing the wind from the high pressure region is low, i.e. The Pole of the Earth is a high pressure region, and the equator, low pressure pole. From the southern direction of the Earth, the wind blows to the left, from the northern right, this is due to the rotation of the Earth. The anticyclone is created when the thick layers of air are collided with less dense layers, and they are moving slower.

There are winds of monsoon and there is winds of the Passat, these are two main circulating flows over our planet.

Passat blow from the tropics, because They are formed in the field of high pressure and move to the equator, which is in low pressure area. And when the Earth rotates, then these emerged winds begin blowing in the southern direction. Countries that are most influenced by the winds of the Passatows are South America, Australia, winds that are formed over the oceans, bring rain almost all year round. In North Africa, the wind blows from the center of Asia, so they are always hot and dry. Thus, in the direction of the wind, it can be understood where the famous sugar desert came from. And the wind, which blows from there Always dry, not bringing moisture.

Mussons - These are changeable winds. They blow at a certain time of the year, from here and got their name (with Arab Maulsim - season). In the summer, the monsoons blow from the sea to land, in winter, on the contrary, this is due to the fact that the continent in the warm season, the air is quickly heated, expands and rises, forming a low pressure region. And at this time over the ocean, the air warms up slower, thereby it turns out that the wind begins to blow dry, bringing wet air and rains. In winter, everything happens on the contrary, the ocean cools slower, it produces an area of \u200b\u200blow pressure, which is found with the area of \u200b\u200bhigh pressure running from the mainland, so the monsoon that comes from the ocean will be cold and dry.

Bora - It is a strong, sharp, squalid wind, which even at low temperature moves at a strong speed. Basically, this wind comes from the vertices of the mountains and descends closer to the water bodies, lakes, seas and can hold out for several days. Actually due to the fact that the mountains share the terrain and the wind is formed, the difference between the wind temperature and the temperature of the resulting reservoir causes the wind to move even stronger. Often, shipwrecks occur due to the fault.

Foney - This type of winds is a bit similar to the wind boron. Hair dryer is also moving from the mountains on the coast at its sufficient high speed it is a warm, light breeze. Most often, such a wind prevails in mountainous locations, and thanks to the blow of the hair dryer, avalanches are gone, there is a high evaporation of moisture.

Breeze - This is a wind blowing from the water bodies of the lakes, the seas. Its direction directly depends on the temperature differences, so it can circulate and change its direction several times a day. Basically, the daily breeze moves from the water branch to land, at night, on the contrary, from the cooled coast towards the water.

Tornado - In other words, this is a tornado. Due to the strong difference in atmospheric pressure, a funnel is formed. A funnel is formed under her heap rain clouds and descends to the earth itself. Moves a tornado with a huge force and speed, pulling up and destroying everything in its path. Also when moving, you can hear a strong hum and roar. The power of this wind is so strong that it easily raises the car, at home, and heavy items into the sky.

Sukhove - This is a hot wind, blows most often in the plain, steppe and desert zones. It can continue for a few days and because of the high temperature at low humidity, it dries air, cuts the soil, which is badly affected by the fertility of the Earth. And with long-term dry, drought comes at all.

Marshmallow - Pleasant, warm, light breeze bringing moisture and received its name from the ancient Greek god of the Zephyr, who blew in the territory of the Mediterranean. This wind is observed most often in the summer, and it can be both warm and light and cool rain rain.

Types of winds
Wind name Distribution areas Direction from where wind blows
Passat Tropics S.-V., Yu.-V.
Winds Zap. Transfer Moderate latitudes Z., S.-Z.
Mussons Vost. Coast of Eurasia and North. America In the summer - from the ocean on the mainland, in winter - from the mainland on the ocean
Stock Wind Antarctica From the center of the mainland to the periphery
Breeze Sea coast In the afternoon - from the sea to land, at night - from sushi to the sea
Foney Mountain systems, especially Alps, Pamir, Caucasus From the mountains in the valley

The wind, the word that implies so much - this is the affectionate breath, which we see and feel warm summer day and destructive hurricanes that break and sweep all that they meet in their path.

Windiness in the modern dictionary is synonymous with impermanence, changeability. But the trade winds this statement is completely broken. Unlike breeze, seasonal monsoons and even more winds caused by weather cyclones, they are constant. How are trade winds formed and why blow in a strictly defined direction? Where did this word come from in our tongue? Are these winds that are constant and where are they localized? You will learn about this and many other things from this article.

The meaning of the word "trade winds"

During the time of sailing fleet, the wind was of paramount importance for navigation. When he exactly blends always in the same direction, it was possible to hope for a safe outcome of a dangerous journey. And such a wind Spanish navigators dubbed "Viento de Pasade" - favorable movement. The Germans and the Dutch included the word "Pasad" in their marine dictionary of navigation terms (Passat and Passaat). And in the era of Peter the first, this name penetrated into Russian. Although in our high latitudes, the trade winds are rare. The main place of their "habitat" - between two tropics (cancer and Capricorn). Passats are observed and further from them - up to the thirtieth degree. At a considerable distance from the equator, these winds lose their strength and are observed only on large open spaces, above the oceans. There they are blowing by force in 3-4 points. At the shores of the trade winds are transformed into monsoons. And further from the equator, the location of the winds generated by cyclonic activity is inferior.

How the Passat is formed

We will conduct a small experiment. I appline a few drops on the ball. And now we will spin it as Yulia. Look at the drops. Those of them, which are closer to the axis of rotation, remained real estate, and located on board "Yula" spread out in the opposite direction. Now imagine that the ball is our planet. She spins from west to east. From this movement are formed opposite winds. When the point is located close to the poles, per day it makes a smaller circle than the one that is at the equator. Therefore, the speed of its movement around the axis is slower. From friction with an atmosphere in such sugar lathes does not occur air currents. Now it is clear that the trade winds are stable treropic winds. At the same equator, the so-called strip of the calm is observed.

Passatov direction

Drops on the ball it is not difficult to trace that they spread in the direction, reverse rotation. It is called but to say that Passats are winds that will be wrong from the east. In practice, in the air masses deviate from their main vector south. The same thing happens, only in mirror reflection, on the other side of the equator. That is, in the southern hemisphere, the Passats blow from the south-east to the north-west.

Why is the equator so attractive for air masses? In the tropics, as is known, the constant area of \u200b\u200bhigh pressure is established. And the equator, on the contrary, is low. If we are responsible for a children's question, where the wind comes from, then we will put up the capital's naturalistic truth. The wind is the movement of air masses from high pressure layers to the area with lower. The periphery of the tropics in science is called "horsepower latitude". From there a gallop blowing the trade winds in the "Style Led" above the equator.

Speed \u200b\u200bof constant winds

So, we understood the range of distribution of trade winds. They are formed in both on a latitude of 25-30 ° and fucked near the zone of the calm somewhere in 6 degrees. The French believe that trade winds are "right winds" (Vents Alizes), very comfortable for movement under sails. Their speed is small, but constant (five to six meters per second, sometimes it reaches 15 m / s). However, the power of these air masses is so large that they form the trade-mounted flows. Bed in the regions with hot and these winds contribute to the development of deserts, such as Calahari, Namib and Atakam.

Are they constant?

Over the continents, the Passats face local winds, sometimes changing their speed and direction. For example, in the Indian Ocean, due to the special configuration of the shore of Southeast Asia and climatic characteristics, the trade winds turn into seasonal monsoons. As you know, they blow out of the cool sea in the summer in the direction of the heated sushi, and in the winter - on the contrary. However, the statement seem to the trade winds is the winds of tropical latitudes, not quite right. In the Atlantic, for example, in the northern hemisphere they blow in winter and spring in the range of 5-27 ° S.Sh., and in the summer and in the fall 10-30 ° S.Sh. This strange phenomenon in the XVIII century gave a scientific explanation of John Gadley, a British astronomer. The skylessness band is not worth the equator, but moving after the sun. Thus, by date, when our luminais is standing in the zenith over the tropical of cancer, the trade winds are shifted to the north, and in the winter - to the south. Easternatures are constant wind and for strength. The Passat of the Southern Hemisphere is more powerful. He almost does not meet the barriers in the form of sushi. There, it forms the so-called "roaring" fortress latitudes.

Passats and tropical cyclones

To understand the mechanics of the formation of typhoons, it is necessary to understand that two permanent winds blow in each hemisphere of the Earth. All that we described above relates to the so-called Lower Passatam. But the air, as is known, is cooled when climbing to height (on average one degree every hundred years of lifting). Warm masses lighter and rushing upwards. Cold air tends to descend down. Thus, opposite trade winds arise in the upper layers of the atmosphere. In the northern hemisphere from the south-west, and lower from the equator - from the North-West. Inside the trade winds sometimes changes the steady direction of two layers. There is a zigzag twisting of warm, saturated moisture and cold mass of air. In some cases, tropical cyclones are gaining a hurricane strength. The same vector of directions inherent in the trade winds carries them to the West, where they collapse their destructive power on coastal areas.