The wind is a current of air.
Wind (from the Latin ventus ) is the current of air that is produced in the atmosphere by natural causes. Wind, therefore, is a meteorological phenomenon originated in the rotation and translation movements of the Earth .
Solar radiation generates temperature differences in the atmosphere, which gives rise to pressure differences and air movement. The speed of the wind can be used to produce energy (known as wind energy ), although it is also dangerous, as it can bring down large buildings. The displacement of seeds and erosion are other consequences of the action of the winds.
For example: «There is a lot of wind; "It is not advisable to go sailing" , "The day is beautiful: lots of sun and no wind" .
From the weather vane to the anemometer
The first instrument created to detect the direction in which the wind is blowing was the weathervane . It is a rotating device with a cross that indicates the cardinal points and is usually located in high places.
A more advanced tool is the anemometer , which also measures wind speed and helps predict the weather.
Types of wind
Depending on its intensity, the wind can receive different names. The milder winds are known as breezes , while the stronger ones include tornadoes . All of these terms, however, have a more specific scientific meaning that is often left aside by everyday language.
The flow of particles emitted by the atmosphere of a star is known as the solar wind, on the other hand. Most of these particles are high-energy protons.
With the wind you can generate wind energy .
air movement
The movement of air in the troposphere (lower area of the atmosphere) is the most significant for people and has two components: the vertical , of 10 or more kilometers and whose upward or downward movement compensates for the horizontal, and the horizontal , which It reaches thousands of kilometers and is the most important of both. The observation of a tornado is very appropriate to understand these concepts, since while its whirlpool begins rotating at a considerable speed, with the known destructive consequences, and it decreases as the wind rises, given that the dimensions of the cone increase at the width.
It is worth mentioning that these statements, obtained from the study of tornadoes, are also true for all types of wind, since they are part of the various processes that they go through. The same transition that occurs in this case, from a linear movement to a rotating one that ascends vertically, can be seen in both eddies and hurricanes and cumulonimbus, with certain differences in size and extension.
On the other hand, there are winds that cover important distances, which also go through this process. A clear example is the trade winds, which travel between the equator and the tropics , going from the northwest to the southwest and vice versa, crossing the northern and southern hemispheres. When they are at the equator, they suffer a forced rise, mainly due to the high concentration of matter, and generate clouds and heavy rain, which results in a great decrease in speed.
When the rising air cools and loses the humidity it carried, due to condensation and rain, the result is dry, cold air. The lower the temperature, the more weight; Consequently, it tends to descend towards the surface in an inclined movement that begins at the equator and heads towards the tropics, deviating to the right to finally complete the cycle of the trade winds. In this way, the principle of conservation of matter is fulfilled, according to studies carried out by Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier, an 18th century French chemist and biologist.