Section 4 The wind

Wind is the horizontal movement of air relative to the earths surface.

Wind is a vector with a direction and a speed

Winddirection is the direction from which the wind is blowing Windspeed is given in knots(kt) or m/s or km/hr 1 kt = 1 nautical mile per hour (1852 m / hr) = 0,5 m/s

=1,8 km/hr

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Ruimen en krimpen

in hete was =

= krimpen

KRIMPEN: Windrichtingverandering tegen de wijzers van de klok; richting in graden wordt kleiner! (krimpt) RUIMEN precies andersom, richting wordt groter.

Ruimen: Groter in graden

Krimpen: Kleiner in graden

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Winddirection and windspeed are measured at 10 m above groundlevel, all over the world!

Anemometer

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windrichting

windsnelheid

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Observations of winddirection and windspeed are a 10 minutes average.

Gusts are reported if a peak of windspeed is 10 kts or more from (above) the average.
i.c. 27012g22kt 24025kt
G22

32055kt

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Exercise: determine winddirection and velocity*

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windforce
GEOSTROFIC WIND SCALE
IN KNOTS FOR ISOBARS AT 4 MB INTERVALS POLAR STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

N
70
40 15

60
50 40
80 25 10

Take the latitude, measure the distance between the isobars. Put it into the windscale, follow the parallel and read the velocity. Take 15 to 40% for friction.
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Wind starts due to the existance of pressure difference Pressure difference occur due to difference in heating of the earths surface The pressure is measured on a lot of places over the world.

Places with the same pressure can be connected by lines with the same pressure isobar - cyclone (L)
ISO = Same - anticyclone (H)

Process in weather can be compared to process in water

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If pressure difference exist there are several forces working on an airparcel

gradintforce coriolisforce

Fg Fc

centrifugalforce Fcentr
frictionforce Fw

Each force will be explained now

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gradintforce Force that works from high- to lowpressure perpendicular to the isobars L 1010 1015

Fg

1 dp Fg . dx

= airdensity (kg/m3)
dp = pressuredifference between isobars dx = distance between isobars section 4 the wind TB
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The coriolisforce
This force appears due to the rotation of the earth For instace: observator on the northpole rotating disk (N-hemisphere) children on a rotating disk (S-hemispere)

Fc 2.v.. sin
V = windvelocity = earths angular velocity

What if V=0 ??
Than Fc = 0 !!!!

Fc is a pseudo force

= latitude

(schijnkracht)

There is no Fc when there is no velocity.!

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View from North Pole

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15

Fg =

Fr = V=

Geostrofic wind =

v geo
L

Fc=

1015

v geo

Wind blows parallel to the isobars

1020
H
Fg

1 dp Fg . dx

Fg=Fc
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v geo

Fg 2.. sin
16

Fc 2.v.. sin

Vgeo summary:
Geostrophical wind (geowind) Wind blowing parallel to straight isobars

This wind only blows in the free atmosphere, no friction, no divergence or convergence
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If isobars are curved there is also a centrifugal force Fcentr Gradint wind = v grad blows around curved isobars

Fcentr

v2 r

parallel to curved isobars!

The centrifugal force is perpendicular to the motion, outwards.

Fcentr

v grad
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dp c dx

H
Fc

Fc

v geo
Fg

vacy
Fcentr Fg

vcy
Fcentr

Fg Fc

Fcacy = Fg + Fcentr

Fc = Fg

Fccy = Fg - Fcentr

Fc acy > > Fccy So: same gradient, same Fc latitude: MORE WIND AROUND HIGH !!!! 2Vacysin > 2Vsin > 2Vcysin Vacy > Vgeo
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>

Vcy
19

Frictionforce = Fw Fw is opposite to the direction of the wind

Fc 2.v.. sin

Fg Fw
v

1010

1 dp Fg . dx
Fw V <

v geo

1015

Fc

Fc 2.v.. sin <

Fw > >*
20

Fg > Fc airparticle is moving towards the lowpressure area Due to friction wind is backing (NH)
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The Buys Ballots law (NH) Take the wind in the back, The lowpressure is in the quarter left in front, The high pressure is in the quarter right to the back L

H
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Christophorus Henricus Didericus Buys-Ballot

1817-1890

(Nederlander!)

Wis- en Natuurkundige Meteoroloog Richtte in 1854 het KNMI op Bewees het Doppler effect voor geluid* De Wet van Buys Ballot: Stelt u zich op het Noordelijk Halfrond op met de rug in de wind, dan heeft u het lagedruk gebied aan uw linkerhand en iets naar voren*.
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Exercise: determine with two the winddirection and velocity

over the west part of the Netherlands

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windforce
GEOSTROFIC WIND SCALE
IN KNOTS FOR ISOBARS AT 4 MB INTERVALS POLAR STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

N
70
40 15

60
50 40
80 25 10

Take the latitude, measure the distance between the isobars. Put it into the windscale, follow the parallel and read the velocity. Take 15 to 40% for friction. section 4 the wind TB
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Take the following steps

Winddirection: from high to low bear of to the right

put arrows on the isobars

backing 40 degrees due to friction Windvelocity: determine the latitude determine the distance between the isobars put into the windscale take 25% for friction Answer: 05015kt
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L H

B
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Vacy > Vgeo > L

Vcy

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Cyclostrophic wind

Fcentr

v2 r
Fg Fc Fcentr

If r < or v > or <

vcy

Fcentr >> Fc

Fc = 0 Fcentr = Fg =>

v2 r

Fg

=>

vcycl r.Fg

This is the case by: Tropical Cyclones

tornadoes dust whirls section 4 the wind TB
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Isallobaric wind In synoptic charts meteorologists draw lines of equel pressure tendency of the last 3 hours. The isallobaric wind is that component of the wind due to the changing pressure field. It is an ageostrophic wind. The isallobaric wind is directed at right angles to the isallobars towards the region of greatest rate of fall of pressure (convergent towards the isallobaric minimum) and out of the region of greatest increase of pressure(so divergent out the isallobaric maximum)
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For instance:

Wind is backing and increasing

Wind is veering and increasing

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Variation of the wind with height Going up: less friction! In free atmosphere* there is no friction.
h

Friction reduces the windspeed and changes the wind direction (backing in the Northern Hemisphere and veering in the Southern Hemisphere).
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The angle between isobars and wind direction increases with increasing friction. (angle alpha = wrijvingshoek!)

Its average is about

10 over the surface of the sea 30 to 40 over land. A

wind

Wind speed reduction is in the order of 10% over the sea

up to 50% over land.

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33

The local winds

Orographic winds: Foehn, Mistral, Bora, Land- and Sea breeze, Valley- and Mountain winds, Winds associated with special air masses: Harmattan, Sirocco, Khamsin, Winds associated with the passage of a front: Pampero, Sumatra.

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AANVOER LUCHTSOORT
BLIZZARD : cAl uit Canada naar USA (hele jaar) ETESISCHE WINDEN : cPl naar Griekenland (zomer) SCIROCCO : cTl uit N-Afrika naar Z-Itali (zomer) HARMATTAN : droge NO-wind in NWAfrika
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Orographic winds 1. Anabatic and katabatic winds/ valley and mountain breeze

Anabatic winds

Katabatic wind

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Mountain and valley breeze

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Land and sea breezes

850 hPa 850 hPa 900 hPa 850 hPa

H sea

L land Sea breeze

H sea

1000 hPa

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Land and sea breezes

850 hPa

800 hPa 850 hPa

850 hPa

L sea

H land land breeze

L sea

1000 hPa

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The dangers of this sea breeze front are:

Onset can be sudden and associated with gusty winds

Sea breeze can bring low clouds and fog very rapidly Large temperature differences over the field Large differences in wind speed and wind direction over the field Sea breeze front may trigger CBs

28

19

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The Foehn wind and the Chinook

Foehn wind or the Fhn wind. This wind occurs at the downwind side at the base of a mountain ridge. Eur: Fhn USA: Chinook It is a strong, gusty, dry and warm katabatic wind which develops on the lee side of a mountain range when stable air is forced to pass over it.

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Wind

Windward side: loss of water!!

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The Chinook

Conditions to produce a Chinook: 1. A strong wind blowing across the mountain ridge, 2. On the lee side of the Rocky Mountains, a low pressure in the north and a high pressure in the south to help suck down the air, 3. The Chinook is most noticeable when the air aloft is potentially much warmer than the surface air it replaces. (small lapse rate in the section 4 the wind TB 43 lower troposphere).

The Mistral
The Mistral is a typical example of the Venturi effect. It blows in the Rhone valley in southern France, between the Massif Central to the west and the Alps to the east, ending in the Gulf of Lyon and in some occasions in the Mediterranean. It can even sometimes reach the coast of Africa. The Mistral is a strong and sometimes violent northerly wind. It is associated with a Northerly maritime polar airflow at the rear of a cold front.

Gusty winds!!

LFML 33028G40

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H L

The mistral
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The Bora
A well known case of vigorous downslope cold wind is the Bora. It is a katabatic wind which blows in winter from the northeast from the highlands of Yugoslavia down to the shores of the Adriatic Sea. (NE-ern coasts of the Adriatic Sea).

The geographic situation is important: there is a closed plateau over N-ern ex-Yugoslavia/ Hungary/ west Roumania, not too high above sea level, with the sea coast along its border.

Also a very gusty GOLD wind

LYDU 03042G56
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The Bora
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Winds associated with special air masses Sirocco, Ghibli, Khamsin

Warm, dry S-wind from Africa with sand/dust from Sahara reaches France/Italy as moist air with fog/stratus and
sometimes drizzle Local name Sirocco coming from Algeria and the Levant

Ghibli
Khamsin

Libya
Egypt
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The local winds in the Mediterranean Sea

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 Harmattan
a dry northeasterly wind over North West Africa

dust laden and can reduce visibility below 4000 m (haze) and
sometimes even below 1000 m (red fog/ dry fog/ brouillard sec).

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Winds associated with the passage of a front

Pampero Northern Argentina over the Rio de la Plata a V-depression develops at times from June to November (winter months in this area).
a strong polar (southerly) wind with

sets in with violent line-squalls. remarkable drop of temperature

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Sumatra a squall which occurs usually at night in the Straits of Malacca, between Sumatra and Malaysia, mainly in winter (April to November) the wind is south-west to north-west

accompanied by thunder, lightning

and torrential rain

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