wind
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent handle wind with speed, direction, units and gusts, give official warnings first, and relate wind to hazards and energy.
Air moving, sometimes with considerable force, from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure, described by speed, direction and gustiness.
What it is for: Wind shapes weather, powers turbines and sails, and can be hazardous.
It can be measure it, with anemometers; forecast it; warn about strong winds; harness it, for energy and sailing.
Distinguishing features
Horizontal air movement driven by pressure differences
Direction given as where it comes from
Mean speed and gusts differ
Units vary: m/s, km/h, knots, mph, Beaufort
What it looks like
Invisible itself; seen in moving trees, waves, flags and blowing dust or snow.
Physical character
Beaufort force 12: 32.7 or more m/s - hurricane force
record gust: about 113 m/s - Barrow Island, 1996
How it is recognised
Beaufort scale descriptions from calm to hurricane
Wind barbs and arrows on maps
Named local winds such as the bise
Related models
is part of - element
is caused by - gradient
powers - energy
can cause - storms
In practice
Families and kinds
prevailing and trade winds
local winds such as bise, foehn, mistral
gusts and squalls
jet streams
calm
Identifiers
WMO code for wind direction and speed groups in SYNOP and METAR reports
Standards and regulation
WMO measurement standards (10 m height)
Beaufort scale
National weather warnings
Failure modes and hazards
Falling trees and structures
Transport disruption
Unit confusion between knots and km/h
Wind chill
Analytical facets
- substance
- energy
- origin
- natural
- agency
- inert
- mobility
- not-applicable
- scale
- not-applicable
- affordances
- observable
Also called
+50
Where this came from
oewn:2024 · CC BY 4.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Measurement Speed and direction.
Measurement conventions matter.
Speed
Mean and gust.
Speed
Wind speed and unit.
- What are the mean speed and gusts, in which unit? measurement
- At what height was it measured? provenance
Direction
From where.
Direction
Wind direction.
- From which direction is it blowing? measurement
- Is it steady or shifting? measurement
Forecast What is coming.
Forecasts guide plans.
Prediction
Forecast winds.
Forecast
Forecast and source.
- What winds are forecast, by which service? provenance
- How confident is the forecast? measurement
Local effects
Terrain and buildings.
Local effects
Local variation.
- How do terrain and buildings change winds locally? definition
- Where are gusts strongest? measurement
Hazards Strong winds.
Warnings save lives.
Warnings
Official alerts.
Warnings
Wind warnings.
- Is there an official wind warning here? provenance
- What should people do? action
Impacts
Damage and disruption.
Impacts
Expected impacts.
- What damage or disruption is expected? boundary
- Which transport is affected? boundary
Use Energy and sailing.
Wind is a resource.
Energy
Wind power.
Wind energy
Energy resource.
- What is the wind resource at this site? measurement
- How variable is it? measurement
Sailing and aviation
Operations.
Operations
Operational limits.
- Are winds within limits for this activity? boundary
- Which crosswind limits apply? provenance
What the second pass must settle
- Should local winds be separate entries?
- How should warnings be presented?
- How should unit conversions be standardised?