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Topic: Prevailing winds


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In the News (Wed 23 Dec 09)

  
  Prevailing Winds
In general, the following prevailing winds across the Earth may be identified, although variations arise due to the positions and differential heating rates of the continents and oceans.
Wind generally blows from high pressure to low pressure, but does not take the most direct north-south route between the pressure belts on account of the Earth's rotation, which deflects airflow by means of the Coriolis force.
The prevailing winds are the mild southwesterlies, but for much of the time, the British Isles are influenced by polar air masses with a northwesterly or northerly airflow, that bring with them colder showery weather.
www.ace.mmu.ac.uk /eae/Climate/Older/Prevailing_Winds.html   (274 words)

  
  Wind - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Winds can be classified either by their scale, the kinds of forces which cause them (according to the atmospheric equations of motion), or the geographic regions in which they exist.
The opposite of a katabatic wind is an anabatic wind, or an upward-moving wind.
Zonda wind (on the eastern slope of the Andes in Argentina)
en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Prevailing_wind   (2654 words)

  
 Prevailing winds - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The prevailing surface winds are calm at the equator (the doldrums), then they blow from the northeast immediately north of the equator and from the southeast immediately south of the equator: these are called the trade winds because they allowed early European ships to sail from east to west to the Americas.
Moving further towards the poles, between 30 and 60 degrees north and south there are the prevailing westerlies, blowing from the southwest in the northern hemisphere and from the northwest in the southern hemisphere.
Near sloping land like mountains and valleys, it is also common to have a cool wind called the katabatic wind or mountain breeze blowing downslope at night, and a warm wind called the anabatic wind or valley breeze blowing upslope during the day, particularly during the summer.
en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Prevailing_winds   (608 words)

  
 Prevailing winds: Facts and details from Encyclopedia Topic   (Site not responding. Last check: )
The westerlies are the prevailing winds in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude, blowing from the high pressure area in the horse latitudes...
The polar easterlies are the prevailing winds that blow from the high-pressure area of the polar highs towards the low-pressure area of the polar front at around 60...
Zonda wind is a regional term for the foehn wind that often occurs on the eastern slope of the andes in argentina....
www.absoluteastronomy.com /encyclopedia/p/pr/prevailing_winds.htm   (1564 words)

  
 Wind - MSN Encarta
Winds may be classified into four major types: the prevailing winds, the seasonal winds, the local winds, and the cyclonic and anticyclonic winds (see Cyclone; Hurricane; Tornado).
Surface air, moving from the horse latitudes toward the low-pressure equatorial belt, constitutes the trade winds, which are the prevailing winds of the lower latitudes.
In the northern hemisphere, the northerly wind blowing toward the equator is deflected by the rotation of the earth to become northeasterly and is known as the northeast trade wind.
encarta.msn.com /encyclopedia_761576867/Wind.html   (745 words)

  
 Wind - MSN Encarta
Winds are produced by differences in atmospheric pressure, which are primarily attributable to differences in temperature.
Winds may be classified into four major types: the prevailing winds, the seasonal winds, the local winds, and the cyclonic and anticyclonic winds, including cyclones, hurricanes, and tornadoes.
In the northern hemisphere, the northerly wind blowing towards the equator is deflected by the rotation of the Earth to become north-easterly and is known as the north-east trade wind.
uk.encarta.msn.com /encyclopedia_761576867/Wind.html   (721 words)

  
 Crow's Nest - The Winds of Trade
Prevailing winds are crucial to the formation of waves and currents, but they can also affect climate and weather in and around the ocean basins.
The quintessential prevailing winds are the trade winds of the Pacific and Atlantic subtropical oceans, which blow steadily westward and slightly toward the equator at average speeds of around 11 to 13 miles per hour.
In the high pressure regions at the eastern edge of the ocean basins where the winds originate, the climate is typically hot, sunny, and dry (Baja California, for example); as the winds move westward across the oceans, they gain moisture, which is eventually dumped on the islands at the western side of the ocean basins.
www.pbs.org /wnet/savageseas/neptune-side-winds.html   (409 words)

  
 Prevailing Winds
Since the wind direction at the higher level is parallel to the isobars and its speed is greater than the surface wind, this transfer causes the surface wind to veer and increase in speed.
Wind shear is the sudden tearing or shearing effect encountered along the edge of a zone in which there is a violent change in wind speed or direction.
Winds in the central core of the jet stream are the strongest and may reach speeds as great as 250 knots, although they are generally between 100 and 150 knots.
www.allstar.fiu.edu /aero/fltenv4.htm   (4471 words)

  
 petrolpump.co.in : energy sources, Wind, Trade Winds, Winds by spatial scale, Prevailing winds, Seasonal winds, ...
Wind is the quasi-horizontal movement of air (as opposed to an air current) caused by a horizontal pressure gradient force.
Winds can be classified either by their scale, the kinds of forces which cause them (according to the atmospheric equations of motion), or the geographic regions in which they exist.
The opposite of a katabatic wind is an anabatic wind, or an upward-moving wind.
www.petrolpump.co.in /energy-sources/wind.htm   (2268 words)

  
 prevailing winds
The air in the trade wind belts is forced to rise in the ITCZ and large quantities of latent heat are released as the warm, moist maritime air cools to its condensation temperature.
Therefore, a north wind is one that is blowing from the north towards the south.
As the inversion dissipates in the morning, the shear plane and gusty winds move closer to the ground, causing windshifts and increases in wind speed near the surface.
www.pilotfriend.com /training/flight_training/met/prv_wnd.htm   (6095 words)

  
 ANKN Searchable Lessons & Units
In this activity, students extend their understanding of convection to consider global winds and the effect of the earth’s rotation on the creation of patterns of prevailing wind direction.
Prevailing winds are named for the direction from which they blow.
Thus, the prevailing westerly winds blow from the west towards the east and the prevailing easterly winds blow from the east towards the west.
www.ankn.uaf.edu /curriculum/units/Winds/activity5ii.html   (930 words)

  
 NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI
Winds of this strength, combined with a long fetch and duration, would be capable of generating waves of 10 to 20 feet.
Winds of this strength, combined with a long fetch and duration, would be capable of generating waves of 5 to 15 feet.
Winds of this strength, combined with a long fetch and duration, would be capable of generating waves of capable of driving seas of 3 to 4 feet.
www.crh.noaa.gov /mkx/ghwo/windseas_levels.php   (395 words)

  
 The Prevailing Winds Home Page
The Prevailing Winds Woodwind Quintet is one of the premiere chamber groups in Utah.
Members of The Prevailing Winds have performed with ensembles such as The Utah Symphony, The Los Angeles Solo Repertory Orchestra, Ballet West, and The Orchestra at Temple Square.
The Prevailing Winds are highly sought after to perform for private events, such as weddings, private parties, school clinics and concerts
theprevailingwinds.com /Default.htm   (165 words)

  
 Wind
Wind is caused by different pressures in the atmosphere.
Prevailing winds are a series of belts around the globe that produce steadily blowing winds near the surface.
Winds move at different speeds and have different names based on the Beaufort Scale.
www.windows.ucar.edu /tour/link=/earth/Atmosphere/wind.html   (213 words)

  
 Earth's Climate
Prevailing winds are the winds which blow more often from one direction than another.
Winds can greatly affect the amount of precipitation an area receives depending on the amount of moisture they are carrying.
Or prevailing winds may move air masses from continent to the ocean, moving drier air from the continent.
www.usoe.k12.ut.us /curr/science/sciber00/8th/earth/sciber/climate.htm   (778 words)

  
 Climate of Maryland
Distribution of Land and Water Masses:  Since the general flow of the atmosphere in temperate latitudes is from west to east, the expansive land mass immediately to the north and west predisposes the Maryland area to a continental type of climate.
Prevailing Winds at the Surface and at Upper Levels:  The prevailing winds at the surface are determined by the frequency and intensity of anticyclones and cyclones that persist or move over the area.
Mean wind speeds at the surface vary from 9 to 10 mph in summer and fall to 10 to 12 mph in winter and early spring.
www.atmos.umd.edu /~climate/narrativedesc.htm   (3885 words)

  
 Collm winds during February 2001 major stratwarm
Inspecting the trend of the zonal prevailing wind gradient in Figure 6, it can be seen that the major stratwarm influence on the mesopause region consists of two effects: a planetary wave, which is overlaid by a continuous decrease of the wind gradient.
This was probably of different origin: the zonal wind reversal was owing to a combination of strong planetary wave activity and a gradual decrease of the prevailing wind, while the meridional wind change probably was due to the residual circulation forced by planetary wave-mean flow interaction at lower altitudes.
However, particularly the phases show a distinct tendency of interaction with the mean zonal winds, indicating a dependence either of the tidal forcing in the stratosphere or of tidal propagation in the mesosphere on the mean circulation.
www.uni-leipzig.de /~jacobi/collm/results/0201/stratwarm.htm   (1458 words)

  
 Prevailing summer winds   (Site not responding. Last check: )
In the summer months the winds in the Ionian and Aegean are predominantly from the north.
Moreover the figures depicting the wind fly around the tower in an anticlockwise direction which is the direction any cyclonic system entering the Mediterranean also revolves with the winds of a depression following the same pattern and sequence as that shown on the tower.
Boreas, the violent and cold north wind, represented by a bearded old man wrapped in a thick mantle with the folds being plucked by the wind.
www.1yachtua.com /Medit-marinas/Greece/sumwinds.htm   (804 words)

  
 Winds on the Bay
In the Summer prevailing winds from the Northwest are generated by a large, high pressure area several hundred miles off the California coast.
The prevailing wind blowing over warm surface water of the Pacific picks up a lot of moisture before it hits the band of cold water along the coast.
Thus, the Westerly winds are usually strongest in the afternoons when the land is warmest, and don't effect rowing in the early morning.
www.owrc.com /winds/winds.html   (968 words)

  
 An explanation of terms used for each habitat factor
This category is for the few open coastlines which face into prevailing wind and receive oceanic swell without any offshore breaks (such as islands or shallows) for several thousand km and where deep water is close to the shore (50 m depth contour within about 300 m, e.g.
These are open coasts which face into prevailing winds and receive oceanic swell without any offshore breaks (such as islands or shallows) for several hundred km but where deep water is not close (>300 m) to the shore.
They can be adjacent to extremely exposed sites but face away from prevailing winds (here swell and wave action will refract towards these shores) or where, although facing away from prevailing winds, strong winds and swell often occur (for instance, the east coast of Fair Isle).
www.ukmarinesac.org.uk /communities/habitats-review/hr1_1.htm   (703 words)

  
 Prevailing Winds
In answer to your question about the prevailing wind direction over eastern Idaho and western Wyoming, and its relationship to particulate matter emitted into the atmosphere "upstream" of Jackson Hole.
Near the surface in eastern Idaho, a Southwesterly wind is most common, as it tends to closely follow the confines of the topography.
Wind speed, atmospheric stability, and turbulence, at various levels up through the atmosphere, will affect the effluent dispersal, and will determine the concentrations received downstream from the source.
www.yellowstonenuclearfree.com /about_us/woodmencey.php   (289 words)

  
 7(p) Global Scale Circulation of the Atmosphere
Between the latitudes of 30 to 60° North and South, upper air winds blow generally towards the poles.
Once again, Coriolis force deflects this wind to cause it to flow west to east forming the polar jet stream at roughly 60° North and South.
Wind speed is indicated by the length of these arrows (see the legend on the graphic).
www.physicalgeography.net /fundamentals/7p.html   (1740 words)

  
 Direction of Prevailing Winds
Prevailing winds is the mechanism by which weather systems move around the earth.
If an area close to a major body of water is in the path of prevailing winds that originate from the body of water, then the winds will be loaded with water vapour.
If an area close to the same body of water has prevailing winds coming from a large continental region, the winds will be very dry, and the area will receive a small amount of precipitation.
www.abheritage.ca /abnature/environmental/direction.htm   (148 words)

  
 Prevailing Winds in Tarifa, Spain « General information « TARIFA   (Site not responding. Last check: )
Tarifa has two prevailing winds: the strong and warm Levante, blowing day and night, and the colder Poniente blowing strongest in the afternoon.
The reason why Tarifa's wind is so strong and well channelled is mainly thanks to the tunnel effect that the Straits of Gibraltar provide.
Wind forecast and the averages of the last years.
www.tarifainfo.com /en/wind.html   (509 words)

  
 Project NOVA
With the Coriolis effect in action again, the result is a system of winds known as the Prevailing Westerlies, eventhough the winds generally blow from the southwest in the Northern Hemisphere and from the northwest in the Southern Hemisphere.
Thus, the violence of the winds is known to mariners as the "brave west winds" or the "roaring forties."
Knowledge of atmospheric pressure and the prevailing wind systems close to the Earth's surface was slowly built up by navigators and explorers prior to steamships, since they had to adjust their sailing practices to use the winds favorably.
www.uncfsu.edu /msec/nova/timmod3e.htm   (796 words)

  
 Untitled Document
Prevailing winds develop waves and push them in one predominant direction forming surface ocean currents.
As a result of the Coriolis force, the Trade winds (tropical easterly winds) push surface water to the west and north while the mid-latitude westerlies push water to the east and south.
At mid latitudes, currents moving eastward under the influence of the prevailing westerlies may also strike a continental barrier where they are primarily deflected toward the right (left) in the northern hemisphere.
earth.usc.edu /~slund/systems/topic4.html   (1437 words)

  
 Climate Controls: Geoposition and Prevailing Winds
Prevailing winds determine the influence that body has on local climate.
All three stations on the map to the right are at approximately the same latitude.
Two stations are coastal, but only one, San Francisco, has a maritime climate because in the midlatitudes the prevailing winds are westerly.
www.uwplatt.edu /~stradfot/weather124/Interactive/abcontrol/pages/geoposition.html   (57 words)

  
 Prevailing Winds
Now the industry's biggest players are racing to build wind farms -- and cash in on the latest energy boom.
But behind the green imagery is a remarkable corporate about-face: After decades of belittling wind as a puny and unreliable energy source, AEP and other major companies are scrambling to cash in on what is now the world's fastest-growing source of electric power.
Multinationals like Shell and General Electric are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in wind operations from Washington state to Massachusetts.
www.motherjones.com /news/feature/2002/07/winds.html   (560 words)

  
 wind: Prevailing Winds and General Circulation Patterns
The prevailing wind systems of the earth blow from the several belts of high pressure toward adjacent low-pressure belts.
This zonal pattern of winds is displaced northward and southward seasonally because of the inclination of the earth on its axis and the consequent migration of the belts of temperature and pressure.
In addition, the pattern is considerably modified by the distribution of land and water, especially in the temperate regions, where temperature differences between land and water are greatest.
www.factmonster.com /ce6/weather/A0861968.html   (306 words)

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