I have always been interested in various natural elements. Wind is one of the most interesting and amazing natural phenomena for me. How good is a light refreshing breeze on a hot summer day, but how it spoils the weather in dank and rainy autumn. :(
What is the wind
Wind is the movement of air masses in a horizontal direction.
And for me, the wind is a stream of air that refreshes the body in the summer heat, it is the sensation of a light caressing touch of the sea breeze, it is hair fluttering in the air, the rustle of leaves on the trees.
Where does the wind come from?
Earlier, people thought that the winds are powerful creatures that possess great power... According to legend, the winds were blowing for a reason. The reason strong winds, hurricanes, storms was considered the wrath of these creatures.
Now, our thinking has changed somewhat. Most of us no longer believe in the existence of spirits. Therefore, I will explain from a scientific point of view how the wind is formed. This phenomenon occurs due to the difference in atmospheric pressure. Areas with different pressures have different temperatures and density. Cold air is dense, it weighs more than warm air and the pressure in it is higher, so it tends to move to an area with warm rarefied air. As a result of these processes, the wind appears.
For me the wind is unique phenomenon... Many interesting facts can be told about him. Here are just a few of them:
- The wind can blow vertically, but at the same time significantly loses in speed.
- The worst winds blow in Antarctica... Their power lies in great speed(just imagine, it reaches about 60 km per hour!), Combined with exceptionally low temperatures... In such conditions, I definitely would not be able to live.
- The fastest wind is a tornado... it a natural phenomenon usually lasts only a few minutes and, for inexplicable reasons, always occurs in the afternoon. What is surprising is that each tornado is unique... It has its own exclusive look, color, sound and even smell!
- The most high speed the wind fixed on the planet Neptune.
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How many associations does such an element as the wind evoke in me. This is freedom of action, and the endless feeling that you do not need to do anything, and power, since this element can be destructive, and much more. As for me, every person can associate himself with the wind, since every person loves freedom, and this element has no boundaries, no obligations and cannot be tamed.
Why the wind blows on the planet
Wind is the movement of air. The sun makes it move, not directly, but indirectly. Sun rays heat the Earth, and the resulting heat heats up the air, which causes it to rise upward. At the top, it cools down and descends back. Also, another reason for the movement of air is the rotation of the Earth around its axis. Thanks to this feature of our planet, winds are formed in the Northern Hemisphere that move to the right, and in the Southern Hemisphere - to the left.
You can check how heat affects the air without leaving your apartment. To do this, you need to go to the door where the balcony is located and take with you 2 candles, or napkins or cotton wool. Place these items at the bottom and top of the opening and see where they deviate. If you take candles, then you need to light them and also put them. You can already check by the fire, where it will lean, there the wind will blow. In the upper part of the opening, the air will be warm and will come out, and below there will be cold air, which will move inward.
Wind is a predictable element, but sometimes it can be unpredictable. She is one of the factors that determine the weather on soon.
Here are some Interesting Facts related to wind:
- Port Martin is considered the most windy place on the ground. There average speed the wind is 20 meters per second.
- The fastest winds in the solar system blow on Neptune. Their speed can exceed 2000 km / h.
- Vertical winds occur in nature. This is not a long-term phenomenon as they quickly lose their speed.
- In 1999, Oklahoma had the most strong wind, which developed a speed of 512 km per hour.
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One of the first knowledge that I managed to acquire as a child concerned exactly why the wind blows. I asked this question to my mother when we were walking down the street, and the elements were almost raging around. When I got older, I myself learned about this phenomenon in detail.
The reason that the wind blows
Before you start talking about why the wind blows, you need to understand what it is. this phenomenon... In essence, the wind is a stream of air moving horizontally. As simple as that.
The occurrence of wind is due to the fact that Atmosphere pressure it is distributed unevenly over the surface of the Earth. This difference, in turn, is largely due to differences in air temperature by different sites.
The wind blows from an area where the pressure is high to the side where the pressure is low. To better understand this principle, you can imagine the usual balloon... When it is inflated, the compressive forces of the rubber walls act on it. Therefore, if the ball is untied, almost all the air will quickly leave it, creating a short-term weak gust. For your reference, you can give some examples of the types of winds:
- trade winds and monsoons are tropical;
- westerly winds ( temperate zone);
- easterly winds(polar belt).
You can easily find detailed information on this topic yourself.
Why hurricanes occur
In everyday life, anyone is called a hurricane strong wind... But the real such phenomenon may originate in the Atlantic or in the eastern part The Pacific... A hurricane is a cyclone formed in tropical belt.
This phenomenon occurs when a certain area of the ocean warms up to 26 degrees or more. This causes very warm and humid air to rise up where it condenses, thereby forcing others to rise. air masses... In the process, all this is twisted with tremendous force, which causes a strong wind. In this case, hurricanes are considered to be phenomena when air moves at a speed of 130 or more kilometers per hour. Both normal and hurricane winds are of the same nature. But the latter bring great destruction with them.
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Once I wondered how to explain such a phenomenon as "gusts of wind". After a little searching on the Internet, I came across a lot of information about Ancient Greece where everything happened "thanks to the power of the Gods and their desires." However, modern scholars have given much more answers than the mythology of the Greeks.
What drives the air flow
If we discard the many descendants and minor demigods, then only a few major characters in mythology can be noted. In ancient Greece, there were 4 main Gods of the winds:
- Boreas - North Wind.
- Notus - South wind.
- Evus - East Wind.
- Zephyr - West Wind.
Mythology is silent about Notus and Evus, while whole legends and swirling myths were written about Borea and Zephyr, which told about their exploits, love affairs, battles, greatness and strength. With their power, they described storms, gusts of winds, bad weather.
Boreus was most revered, for which there were several reasons:
- The north wind destroyed the Persian fleet that attacked Greece.
- Boreas's wife was Orifia.
- He had the ability to crush enemies with the force of the wind.
For his power in Athens, sanctuaries were erected in his honor, he helped the Greeks in the coming battles and fertility of mares. Whole epics were added about the strength of Boreus's wings, in which it was told how he swept away the regiments of enemies with just one stroke.
The Greeks associated the gusts of wind with the wrath of the gods if it inflicted devastating damage on merchant ships or buildings. In such cases, they made sacrifices to the gods in order to appease them, and hoped that the bad weather would stop.
How the wind blows - modern version
After reading science articles, was able to find an explanation in more or less clear language. The sun's rays pass through our atmosphere, while warming up all its "layers". And, as you know, with an increase in temperature, the air lends itself to expansion, but, since the light passes unevenly, all areas acquire different temperatures, respectively, different pressure... Places where pressure begins to drop can be said to "push out" less dense areas, which allows the air to pick up speed.
This is approximately how that pleasant summer breeze comes out, which pleases us on hot days. Of course, he is not particularly happy at -20 in winter, when the nose is already at the limit of freezing ...
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As far back as I can remember, I have always disliked the wind. I don’t go surfing, I don’t plan to sail on sailing ships. For me personally, the wind can be useful only in the heat, when it brings a little relief and a breath of air. But more often than not, the wind spoils the mood and hairstyle, stubbornly drives the cold rain under the umbrella, or even turns the umbrella upside down, and most importantly, makes me indignant and exclamations “yes where does it come from, this wind? ". Since I walk to work every day, the last question arises more and more often, so I had to fetch my knowledge from the depths of my memory from the lessons of geography.
What is the wind and why does it appear
Wind - it's fast,impetuous(just like that, in gusts, we feel the wind on ourselves) air movement... Air moves from a place where there is more to where there is less. In colder areas, there is more air per unit area. The heated air has less density and therefore does not have much pressure.
Example: why the wind almost always blows near water bodies
Since childhood, I remember that our parents never allowed us to go swimming on the very first hot June day. They said: "The water has not yet warmed up." Really, water heats up slower than air... So, between water and air, until it stands for several days hot weather, there is just the same favorable space where the wind can clear up - from the colder surface of the water ( areas high pressure ) to the heated land ( areas low pressure ).
There are regular winds (depending on the latitude, they are westerly or easterly), and there are those that are formed taking into account local features. The wind could be even stronger (I'm afraid to imagine it) if it moved unhindered. But on the surface of the Earth there are obstacles that interfere with the rapid flight of air:
- the mountains;
- hills;
- forests;
- erected by man buildings.
Therefore, in the city between houses you can hide from the wind, but in the field there is nowhere to hide. The wind is able to demolish trees and roofs of buildings on its way, and a person is defenseless in front of him.
The only thing I appreciate about the wind: it is a renewable energy resource, which, moreover, humanity has already learned to use.
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Traditionally, in the summer, my family and I get out to the lakes of Khakassia to relax from the noisy city. Tents, bonfire, fish soup, mountains, sunset and ... wind. Here is such peculiarity in the form of wind is inherent in Khakassia, the wind there is almost constant, although I see a very big plus in this - the absence of blood-sucking insects. But why the wind blows is worth investigating.
What is the wind
The wind itself is a movingairflow... Winds differ in strength, direction and duration. Wind is a unique phenomenon... There is a holiday in honor of him - Wind day, and celebrate it on June 15th. The purpose of creating such a holiday is to attract attention society to wind energy potential... After all, according to experts in this field, wind energy helps to solve problems not only of the energy plan, but also of the economic and environmental ones.
Why is it windy
Yet Halley explained wind generation by the way, it was over 300 years ago. The thought of his guess was as follows: when the temperature drops, the Archimedean force,warm air rises and cold air descends.
The scientific point of view confirms Halley's thoughts, modern scientists formulate the cause of the wind as follows: uneven heating of the earth's surface.
The most curious thing about the wind
You can watch the wind absolutely in different corners Earth. I will reveal the most curious facts about the wind.
In addition to many scientific varieties of wind, there is also a classification given by mankind.
- The wind is a doctor... This is what people call the cool, summer sea breeze.
- Watermelon wind... It is present on the Turkish coast of the Aegean Sea, during the ripening of melons.
- Babi wind. A gentle Kamchatka wind helps women dry their clothes quickly.
Why does the wind arise in the mountains
So it came to explain the cause of the wind in mountainous terrain Republic of Khakassia. Mountains can act as wind-generating factor so be it obstacle for him. At high altitudes in the mountains, the air warms up faster than in the lowlands, while low pressure zone, which leads to wind formation. Here is interesting phenomenon represents the wind. And I will tell my children about it by the fire on the next trip to the lakes.
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Just a week ago, the weather in my city changed dramatically. An anticyclone came to us from Asia, which brought "hellish heat". In such weather, only the light saves breeze... He always brings freshness and coolness... My little daughter does not tolerate the heat well, so she has to sit out the biggest sun in the apartment. During another evening walk, she asked me a completely childish question. She wondered why the wind blows on Earth. To be honest, I was immediately confused, because I did not know how to correctly and easily submit information about this natural phenomenon.
How to explain to a child why the wind is blowing
I will say from personal experience that for children in early age quite often this phenomenon is of separate interest. The child cannot understand why the wind is blowing in one place and not in another. The main thing is to say that x Cold wind is formed due to low air temperature.
For my daughter to understand everything, I showed her illustrative example... She took an incompletely inflated balloon and began to blow it with a hairdryer. The ball is noticeably increased its volume and climbed up... So I made it clear that heated the air is light , he always rises... After that, I took the same balloon and put it in the refrigerator. She began to tell her daughter that the Earth is huge, so in one place can be cold and on the opposite part will be hot at the same time... I took the ball out of the refrigerator, and we saw that it several times reduced its volume.
Thanks to this experiment, my child realized that cold air always tends to occupy the territory of warm air. This is how the wind arises.
- this is air flow between warm and cold territory on the ground.
Prevailing winds
On certain territories of our planet, different wind flows are formed. The following winds prevail on Earth:
The main significance of all these winds is that they bring coolness and atmospheric precipitation
My father, as a young man, was very fond of flying hang gliders, and at some point in his life, even engaged in the manufacture of some parts for small planes. Such people are romantics and dreamers in life. Go to any pilot (amateur or professional) - they will tie up such conversations about life). I myself have had occasion to fly on a corn truck and a motor hang-glider. These are incredible sensations, all emotions cannot be described. I highly recommend it.
Hang glider The dominance of the wind on the planet
In most places Of the earth air masses prevail and have a certain direction. Usually, at the poles there are east winds, in moderate climate - western, and in tropical the wind is blowing eastward again. Places of calm, where winds almost do not prevail, are found in polar region and subtropical zone ... Here the air moves mainly vertically, what is the reason high level humidity.
The role of wind in people's lives
The wind plays a huge role in people's lives, influencing:
- transport design;
- energy production;
- recreation and sports;
- increased destruction.
The first point includes the use of wind to move on ships with sails or on non-motorized aircraft(eg hang glider). As a source energy wind was used for the first time Sinhalese() to light up the stoves. Another example is the use of windmills for both mechanical processing, and to obtain energy. The first mention of the mill is reckoned Heron who lived in 1st century AD... Is currently gaining momentum wind power(wind power plants).
Wind power plants In sports and recreation used for hang gliding, paragliding, hot-air balloon etc. If speak about destructive the action of the wind, it can both destroy a poorly built bridge with sudden gusts and damage power lines. Also, the wind can intensify the height of a fire. Wind at a speed of 12 m / s able to knock down large tree... Winds with speed 35 m / s can damage buildings, strip paint from cars, or knock out windows. Ah, here, in front of the wind at a speed 90 m / s no building in the world can resist any more.
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This is something mysterious. We never see it, but we always feel it. So why does the wind blow? Find out in the article!
Wind is the movement of air masses. Despite the fact that we do not see air, we know that it is composed of molecules different types gases, mainly nitrogen and oxygen. Wind is a phenomenon in which many molecules move in the same direction.
Where does it come from? Wind is caused by pressure differences in the Earth's atmosphere: air from a high-pressure region will move towards a low-pressure region. Strong winds occur when air moves between areas with huge differences in pressure levels. Actually, this fact largely explains why the wind blows from the sea to the land.
Wind formation
Wind is the movement of air near the surface of the Earth. It can be a gentle breath or strong storm... The strongest winds occur during phenomena called tornadoes, cyclones and hurricanes. It is caused by changes in the temperature of air, land and water. When the air moves in parallel warm surface, it heats up and rises - this leaves room for cooler masses. The air "flowing" into these empty spaces is the wind. It is named according to the direction it comes from, not the direction in which it blows.
Breezes: onshore and offshore
Coastal and sea breezes are wind and weather conditions characteristic of coastal areas... A coastal breeze is a breeze that blows from land to water. The sea breeze is the wind blowing from the water to the land. Why does the wind blow from the sea and vice versa? Coastal and sea breezes occur due to significant temperature differences between land and water surfaces. They can extend to a depth of 160 km or appear as local phenomena that quickly diminish already in the first few kilometers along the coastline.
Scientifically ...
Land and sea breeze patterns can strongly influence the distribution of fog, causing the accumulation or dispersal of pollution inland. Ongoing research into the principles of land and sea breeze circulation also includes attempts to simulate wind patterns as this affects energy needs (eg, heating and cooling requirements) in affected areas. The wind also has an effect on dependent weather conditions operations (for example, with an aircraft).
Since water has a much higher heat capacity than sands or other materials crust, with a certain amount of solar irradiation (insolation), its temperature will rise more slowly than on land. Regardless temperature scale, in the daytime, the temperature of the land can fluctuate within tens of degrees, while near the water it changes by less than half a degree. Conversely, high heat capacity prevents rapid changes in liquid temperature at night, and thus, while the land temperature can drop by tens of degrees, it remains relatively stable near water. In addition, the lower heat capacity of crustal materials often allows them to cool faster than the sea.
Physics of sea and land
So why is there a strong wind? The air above the respective ground and water surfaces is heated or cooled depending on the conductivity of these surfaces. During the day more heat land leads to warmer and therefore less dense and lighter air masses over the coast than those adjacent to the surface of the water. As the warm air rises (convection phenomenon), the colder air moves towards the voids. This is why the wind blows from the sea, and there is usually a cool sea breeze going from ocean to shore during the day.
Depending on the temperature difference and the amount of air raised, the sea breeze can have gusts at a speed of 17 to 25 km per hour. The greater the temperature difference between land and sea, the stronger the land wind and sea breeze.
Why does the wind blow from the sea
After sunset, the air mass over coastal land quickly loses heat, while over water it usually does not differ much from its daytime temperature. When the air mass above ground becomes cooler than the air mass above water, the ground wind begins to blow from land to sea.
Excitation of warm, moist air from the ocean often results in over coastline daytime clouds. In addition, the movement of air masses and sea breezes are often used by tourists for hang-gliding flights. Although land and sea breezes are prevalent at the seaside, they are also often recorded near large bodies of water. Coastal and sea breezes result in increased moisture levels, precipitation and moderate temperatures in coastal areas.
Explanation for children: why the wind blows
Sea breezes are most often observed during hot summer days due to the unequal heating rates of the earth and water. During the day, the land surface heats up faster than the sea surface. Therefore, part of the atmosphere above the ground is warmer than over the ocean.
Now remember that warm air is lighter than colder air. As a result, it rises. As a result of this process, cooler air above the ocean takes up space at the surface of the earth to replace the rising warmer masses.
It is worth knowing, however, that wind is not only formed as a result of differences in temperature. Global movements of the atmosphere arise as a result of the rotation of the Earth. These winds group trade winds and monsoons. Trade winds occur near the equator and move either from the north or south towards the equator. In the middle latitudes of the Earth, between 35 and 65 degrees, westerly winds prevail. They blow from west to east, as well as towards the poles. Polar winds blow near the north and south poles. They move from the poles to the east or west, respectively.
Our world is full of mysteries and interesting things. Solving them is the task of humanity. Even greater discoveries await us ahead, but for now we already know for sure the answer to the question of how and why the wind blows, as well as what factors determine its formation. This makes it possible to predict changes in weather conditions.
Wind is one of the most unique natural phenomena. We cannot see it, touch it, but we are able to observe the results of its manifestation, for example, how it slowly or quickly drives clouds and clouds across the sky, with its strength tilts trees to the ground or slightly flutters the foliage.
Wind concept
What is wind? The definition from the point of view of meteorology is as follows: it is the horizontal movement of air layers from an area with high atmospheric pressure to a low atmospheric pressure area, accompanied by a certain speed. This movement occurs because during the day the sun penetrates the air layer of the Earth. Some rays, reaching the surface, heat the oceans, seas, rivers, mountains, soil, rocks and stones, which give off heat to the air, thereby heating it. For the same amount of time, dark objects absorb more heat and heat up more.
But what does it matter how heat is released and how quickly? And how does this help us figure out what the wind is? The definition is as follows: land heats up more rapidly than water, which means that the air accumulated above it receives heat from it and rises, therefore, the atmospheric pressure over this area drops. With water, everything is exactly the opposite: above it the air masses are colder and the pressure is higher. As a result, cold air is displaced from the high pressure area to the low pressure area, creating a wind. The greater the difference between these pressures, the stronger it is.
Types of winds
Having figured out what the wind is, you need to find out how many types of it exist and how they differ from each other. There are three main groups of winds:
- local;
- permanent;
- regional.
Local winds live up to their name and blow only in certain areas of our planet. Their appearance is associated with the specificity of local reliefs and temperature changes in relatively short periods of time. These winds are characterized by short duration and daily frequency.
What is the local wind is now clear, but it is also divided into its subspecies:
- A breeze is a light wind that changes direction twice a day. During the day it blows from the sea to the land, and at night it blows.
- Bora is a high-speed cold air stream that blows from mountain tops to valleys or coasts. He's fickle.
- Fyong is a warm and light spring breeze.
- Dry wind is a dry wind prevailing in the steppe regions during a warm period of time in an anticyclone. It portends drought.
- Sirocco - swift southern, southwestern air currents that form in the Sahara.
- And what is the khamsin wind? These are dusty, dry and hot air masses prevailing in northeastern Africa and the eastern Mediterranean.
TO constant winds include those that depend on the total air circulation. They are steady, uniform, consistent and strong. These include:
- trade winds - winds from the east, characterized by constancy, unchanging direction and strength of 3-4 points;
- anti-trade winds - winds from the west, carrying huge air masses.
The regional wind appears as a result of pressure drops, a bit similar to the local wind, but more stable and powerful. A bright representative this species is considered a monsoon, which originates in the tropics, at the turn of the ocean. It blows periodically, but in large-scale streams, changing its direction a couple of times a year: during the summer season - from water to land, during winter - vice versa. The monsoon brings in a lot of moisture in the form of rain.
A strong wind is ...
What is a strong wind and how does it differ from other streams? Its most important feature is its high speed, which fluctuates between 14-32 m / s. It produces devastating actions or brings damage, destruction. In addition to speed, temperature, direction, location and duration are also important.
Types of strong winds
- Typhoon (hurricane) is accompanied by intense precipitation and a drop in temperature, great force, speed (177 km / h and more), blowing at a distance of 20-200 m for several days.
- What is the wind called a squall? This is a sharp, sudden stream with a speed of 72-108 km / h, formed during a hot period as a result of the powerful penetration of cold air into warm zones. It blows for a couple of seconds or tens of minutes, changing direction, and brings a decrease in temperature.
- Storm: its speed is 103-120 km / h. Characterized long duration, by force. He is the source of violent sea vibrations and destruction on land.
- A tornado (tornado) is an air vortex, visually similar to a dark pillar, along which a curved axis runs. There are funnel-like extensions at the bottom and top of the pillar. The air in the vortex rotates counterclockwise at a speed of 300 km / h and draws all nearby objects and objects into its funnel. The pressure inside the tornado is reduced. The pillar reaches a height of 1500 m, and its diameter is from ten (above the water) to hundreds of meters (above the ground). A tornado can travel from a couple of hundred meters to tens of kilometers at a speed of 60 km / h.
- A storm is an air mass, the speed of which is in the range of 62-100 km / h. Storms abundantly cover areas with sand, dust, snow, earth, causing harm to people and the economy.
Wind force description
Answering the question about what the wind force is, it will be appropriate to note that here the concept of force is interconnected with speed: the higher it is, the stronger the wind. This indicator is measured on the 13-point Beaufort scale. Zero value characterizes calm, 3 points - light, weak wind, 7 - powerful, 9 - the appearance of a storm, over nine - merciless storms, hurricanes. Strong winds often blow over the sea, ocean, because nothing bothers them here, unlike rocky mountains, hills, forests.
Determination of the solar wind
What is solar wind? it amazing phenomenon... Ionized plasma particles flow out of the solar corona (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 are around the central heavenly body form an area with space that protects Solar system from the ingress of interstellar gas into it. In addition, thanks to them, such phenomena as the radiation belt and the aurora occur on our planet. This is what the solar wind is.
The relationship between man and wind has always been extremely closely related to each other. It is from this natural phenomenon in prehistoric times(as, by the way, and now) often directly depended on a person's life. With its help, mankind was able to develop crafts and make life much easier for itself, which can be observed even in such a banal example as a windmill. There is nothing surprising in the fact that as long as humanity exists, so many people have asked and still ask themselves and each other the question, why does the wind blow?
This riddle still remains extremely difficult not only for the understanding of a child, but also of an adult. Scientists who study inanimate nature are still arguing about why the wind blows, where the wind blows from and where the wind blows.
Scientific and technical encyclopedic Dictionary defines the wind - as a stream of air masses (a mixture of gases, particles of which fly freely in space), which quickly moves parallel to the surface of the Earth. Another interpretation of the wind says that wind is a natural phenomenon that makes air masses move due to certain changes that occur in the environment.
The wind is generated from behind uneven distribution pressure in the atmosphere. As soon as it appears, it immediately begins to move from the high pressure zone to the low pressure zone. To put it simply, why the wind is blowing, then we can safely say that if it were not for the Sun, land and the World Ocean of our planet, then air in a rather short time would have become everywhere the same temperature and humidity, because of which the wind would never blow.
How air masses move
Throughout the day, the surface of our planet heats up unevenly. This applies not only to objects that are at a distance from each other, but also to those that are very close. For example, in the same period of time, things of a darker color heat up (absorb heat) much more than light ones. The same can be said when comparing water to land (the latter reflects less sunlight).
In turn, heated objects unevenly transfer heat to the air that surrounds them. For example, since the earth heats up much more than water, then during the day the air from the earth rises up, and the colder air from the sea goes to its place. At night, the opposite process takes place - while the land has cooled down, the sea waters remain warm. Respectively, warm air over the sea, goes up, and the air from the land goes to its place.
Warmer air rises upward, where it collides with colder air. This happens because heated air becomes light - and tends upward, while cold air, on the contrary, becomes heavier and rushes downward. How big difference have temperatures of a cold and warm stream, the stronger the wind usually blew. Thus, not only a light breeze arises, but also small eddies, hurricanes and even tornadoes.
The air itself tends to be the same everywhere. When a certain heterogeneity is formed (in one place it is warmer, in another colder, in the third - there are more gas particles, in the fourth - less), it moves horizontally, trying to eliminate the "inequality".
A similar process occurs throughout the territory. the globe... Most warm place on our planet it is the equator. It is here that the heated warm air goes up all the time, and from there it is directed either to the North, or South Poles... After that, at certain latitudes, it descends again to the ground and begins to move. Where exactly the wind blows - depending on the circumstances. Maybe farther to the poles, or maybe return to the equator.
Rotation of the Earth
The movement of air masses is affected by the rotation of our planet. It is because of him that all the winds that blow in the Northern Hemisphere are shifted to the right, and in the South - to the left.
Atmosphere pressure
Our body, even without knowing it, all the time feels air pressure on itself - despite the fact that it seems to us absolutely weightless. According to the latest scientific data, the entire atmosphere of our Earth (in other words, a layer of gases), consisting mainly of nitrogen and oxygen, weighs five quadrillion tons.
The atmospheric pressure in different parts of the Earth is different. Gas molecules strive to compensate for this, and constantly move at great speed in different directions(These particles are completely attached to it due to the force of gravity of the Earth, and cannot fly into space in any way).
This is how it turns out that the wind is movement huge amount molecules atmospheric gases in one direction. Air masses usually flow out of the area high blood pressure(when the air is cold - an anticyclone) to the lowered area (when it is warm - a cyclone), thereby filling the voids of rarefied air.
Wind classification
Strong winds that have average duration(one minute) are squalls. There are such types of winds:
- Breeze is a warm wind near the sea, where you can watch a light breeze blowing on the coast. The wind direction changes twice during the day. Daytime (or sea) often blew from the sea to the coast, night (or coastal) - on the contrary. The breeze speed is usually between 1 and 5 m / s;
- A storm is an extremely strong wind with a speed of 16 to 20 m / s.
- Storm - occurs during a cyclone, speed - from 15 to 32 m / s;
- Hurricane - very violent storm, which was caused by air masses moving in different directions at great speed, the speed of which is from 32 m / s;
- Typhoon - a huge hurricane destructive force which blew and blows mostly near east coast Asia, on Far East as well as the western Pacific.
Wind gusts are short-term (several seconds) and strong (several hours or even months) movements of air masses. For example, for tropical climate the following types of winds are distinguished:
- Monsoons - winds, typical mainly for tropical regions, blow for several months, sometimes changing the direction of the wind. In summer - from the ocean to land, in winter - vice versa. At the same time, the monsoons in summer are characterized by high humidity.
- Trade winds - this kind of wind usually blew and blows in tropical latitudes throughout the whole year, in the Northern Hemisphere - from the northeast direction, in the South - from the southeast. A windless strip separates them from each other.
Due to the constant change in pressure, the wind direction is constantly changing. But in any case, the wind always moves from the high pressure area to the low pressure area.
For thousands of years, people have watched the winds, made certain conclusions, put forward hypotheses, made graphs in order to make the best use of this amazing phenomenon in their activities. inanimate nature... So, the so-called Rose of the Winds appeared - a drawing, more precisely, a diagram that depicts exactly how the wind blows in a particular area.
They compose the Rose of Winds in this way: from the center at a distance of 45 ° from each other, eight straight lines are drawn, on which marks are made with a length proportional to either the frequency of the winds, or their speeds. After that, the ends of the marks are connected and two polygonal shapes are obtained - the Rose of the Winds Repetition, and the Rose of the Windspeed.
The wind rose makes it possible to determine the direction, strength, and duration of the prevailing wind, as well as the frequency air currents... The wind rose is drawn both in order to determine the average values and to determine maximum values... You can create a complex drawing on which diagrams will be plotted, consisting of several parameters at once, which will also show where the wind is blowing.
Drawings are extremely necessary for a person- during construction, for solving various economic problems (for example, in recent times thanks to the wind, it became possible to receive electricity), etc. After all, the wind may well be both a friend and an enemy - if you do not pay attention to it and do not take into account its influence on environment, he is quite capable of causing irreparable damage by destroying a man-made creation. Although the wind is a phenomenon uncontrollable by man, since it blew and will blow wherever he wants, but now mankind can predict its approximate direction and strength, which can save many lives.
Wind... Such a familiar and commonplace phenomenon. Each person feels this element up to a hundred times a day. But does everyone understand and can explain the essence of this phenomenon?
According to generally accepted definitions, wind is the movement of air masses in a horizontal direction. Everything is simple and straightforward. More interest Ask: why these very air masses move and what makes them do it, in other words,
Globally, wind formation is influenced by 3 closely related factors:
- Temperature difference between in different parts atmosphere and land.
- Difference in pressure between different points in the atmosphere.
- Coriolios Force- the force generated by the rotation of the Earth around its axis.
The second factor (pressure difference) is a direct consequence of the first factor - the pressure in different points atmosphere is not the same, because these points have different temperatures.
In warm areas of the atmosphere, air has less weight, since its molecules repel each other further and further with increasing temperature - accordingly, the pressure here is low. In cold places, reverse processes take place - air molecules tend to get as close to each other as possible, which makes the air heavier and the pressure exerted on the atmosphere increases.
This is how the wind arises - air masses from the high pressure zone move to the low pressure zone, as if filling the voids in the atmosphere. To understand how and why this happens, imagine this picture: some body of water is equally divided by a dam, and the water level on one side is 40 meters, and on the other - 60 m.If you open the dam locks, the water will instantly come out of the part where the water level is higher (i.e. from where the pressure is higher) to the other, and will flow until the water level in both parts is equal.
hurricane formation
As already mentioned, all 3 factors affect the formation of wind only on the scale of the entire planet. So the force of Coriolios is involved in the formation of global planetary winds - monsoons and trade winds, which blow for up to 6 months. But for local (local) winds, the presence of only one generating factor is sufficient - the temperature difference (later - the pressure difference).
Winds play an exceptional role both for the entire planet and for human civilization. It was the wind that once carried the seeds of the first plants around the world. Winds formed reliefs, from some lands they made deserts, and from others - fertile "oases". It was thanks to the wind that man was able to quickly overcome long distances by sea, which contributed to the development of trade and sciences, as well as the birth of international relations... And tomorrow the huge and boundless force of the wind can become the main source of energy for a person.
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