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What is the science wind direction


imranipatel
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On the coast, wind direction is away from where the heat is. During the day, the land heats up from the sun, and the wind heads off shore towards the cooler air over the water. It works in reverse when the water is warmer than the land. This is true when the air is otherwise still... if there's a storm brewing, the wind heads towards the center of the low pressure area.

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Actually, the land warms up from the sun during the day and the air over the land rises, creating a lower pressure. Cooler air, which is more dense, moves in to take the place of the rising air warmer air. So during the day you get a sea breeze, that is the cooler air over the sea, moving towards the land. At night, the land cools quicker, than the water, so the cooler air over the land blows towards the water, which results in a land breeze.

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Well, it probably works different here on the island, as we have 2 separate bodies of water and only a little land separating them. I guess it's a more complex dynamic, and my previous statement is only derived from local observation. So... what Bob said is probably more accurate at most shore locations.

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This is complicated. That's why the government uses supercomputers to model. Too many variables. Haven't you ever cursed the weatherman for being wrong? The weather and wind apps aren't good more than 36 hours out.

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On the coast, wind direction is away from where the heat is. During the day, the land heats up from the sun, and the wind heads off shore towards the cooler air over the water. It works in reverse when the water is warmer than the land. This is true when the air is otherwise still... if there's a storm brewing, the wind heads towards the center of the low pressure area.

Actually, the land warms up from the sun during the day and the air over the land rises, creating a lower pressure. Cooler air, which is more dense, moves in to take the place of the rising air warmer air. So during the day you get a sea breeze, that is the cooler air over the sea, moving towards the land. At night, the land cools quicker, than the water, so the cooler air over the land blows towards the water, which results in a land breeze.

Gotta go with Rob on this one.............

CB, it may be like that in theory (and even in Georgia), but on the North Carolina coast (the Outer Banks), the prevailing winds in the summer are out of the Southwest (blowing from the hot land to the water), and in the winter, they are out of the Northeast (blowing from the cold water to land). Now there are days here and there, that this may not be 100% true, due to other weather related factors, but overall, that's how it is, no matter what's warming or what's cooling.

And no, I'm not a weatherman, or meteorologist, but as a rule of thumb, during the hot summer months, beach flying "S _ C K S" here in NC, because the wind is coming off of the land, bouncing over the cottages & dunes, and everything else, so it's bumpy. When it reverses, for whatever reason, and comes off of the water, it's smooth as a baby's butt...........

Just thought I'd check that out, right now, so here's the current "skinny", from Nags Head, NC, via the Weather Channel !

post-4670-0-63321300-1405011373_thumb.jp

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On the coast, wind direction is away from where the heat is. During the day, the land heats up from the sun, and the wind heads off shore towards the cooler air over the water. It works in reverse when the water is warmer than the land. This is true when the air is otherwise still... if there's a storm brewing, the wind heads towards the center of the low pressure area.

Actually, the land warms up from the sun during the day and the air over the land rises, creating a lower pressure. Cooler air, which is more dense, moves in to take the place of the rising air warmer air. So during the day you get a sea breeze, that is the cooler air over the sea, moving towards the land. At night, the land cools quicker, than the water, so the cooler air over the land blows towards the water, which results in a land breeze.

Gotta go with Rob on this one.............

CB, it may be like that in theory (and even in Georgia), but on the North Carolina coast (the Outer Banks), the prevailing winds in the summer are out of the Southwest (blowing from the hot land to the water), and in the winter, they are out of the Northeast (blowing from the cold water to land). Now there are days here and there, that this may not be 100% true, due to other weather related factors, but overall, that's how it is, no matter what's warming or what's cooling.

And no, I'm not a weatherman, or meteorologist, but as a rule of thumb, during the hot summer months, beach flying "S _ C K S" here in NC, because the wind is coming off of the land, bouncing over the cottages & dunes, and everything else, so it's bumpy. When it reverses, for whatever reason, and comes off of the water, it's smooth as a baby's butt...........

Just thought I'd check that out, right now, so here's the current "skinny", from Nags Head, NC, via the Weather Channel !

attachicon.gifNags Head.JPG

Well the original question from the OP wanted to know the "science of wind direction". What I stated, was the scientific principle for wind directions regarding wind blowing from cooler areas to warmer ares, which is illustrated perfectly in land and sea breezes. I studied this when preparing for my written test for my pilots license years ago, and used it many times since. Prevailing winds have nothing to do with land and sea breezes. I lived right on the beach in Miami Florida for 10 years, and land and sea breezes were a fact of life. http://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/edu/k12/.breezes

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Well, you're probably right about the textbook science of what causes the wind. The area Nick is describing and where I live are similar land masses, on the coast, and we were just describing the actual observations in those areas. Whether it agrees with the textbook information available... well, I guess it doesn't.

BTW, we haven't had a day yet in the last month that there wasn't an offshore breeze in the afternoon. I know, because that's when I'm looking to fly. Not the best wind to fly in, but better than nothing !

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Well, you're probably right about the textbook science of what causes the wind. The area Nick is describing and where I live are similar land masses, on the coast, and we were just describing the actual observations in those areas. Whether it agrees with the textbook information available... well, I guess it doesn't.

BTW, we haven't had a day yet in the last month that there wasn't an offshore breeze in the afternoon. I know, because that's when I'm looking to fly. Not the best wind to fly in, but better than nothing !

The indoor crowd prefers to fly in nothing!

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Well, you're probably right about the textbook science of what causes the wind. The area Nick is describing and where I live are similar land masses, on the coast, and we were just describing the actual observations in those areas. Whether it agrees with the textbook information available... well, I guess it doesn't.

BTW, we haven't had a day yet in the last month that there wasn't an offshore breeze in the afternoon. I know, because that's when I'm looking to fly. Not the best wind to fly in, but better than nothing !

If you analyzed the temperature over the land versus the temp over the water, at any given time of the day which are called local winds, plus the large air masses ( global winds) that are moving due to the prevailing wind flow, the the wind direction at any given point could be predicted. That is what meteorologists and the computer models do, nothing more. Science is science, it doesn't change from day to day. The bottom line is cooler air is at a higher pressure, than warmer air, and air flows from high pressure to low pressure, always. The difference in air pressure causes the isobar lines, and the greater the difference, the closer the isobar lines are and the stronger the wind is. That's why pilots are so concerned about warm and cold fronts which are a predictor for stronger winds and or storm conditions. It is something we live with every time we plan a flight.

http://www.theweatherprediction.com/kid_weather_questions/wind.html

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/wind/what-causes-wind

I also think you are confusing local winds such as land breeze and sea breezes, with prevailing winds. If you have a strong prevailing wind, which is like a strong ocean current, the sea and land breezes in comparison, are like a boat going with or against the ocean current. Say a prevailing wind is southwesterly, which it would be in the outer banks from June to July, and it is 13 knots, you would need quite a strong sea breeze generated by land-water temp differential, to buck that 13 knot wind, which is pretty unlikely. If the prevailing wind, was very low, say 2-4 knots, then the sea breeze would be noticed if it was strong enough to buck that 2-4 knot PW. In Miami, the prevailing wind strength was usually on the low side, so the land and sea breezes were very noticeable and observable.

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Well, I'm headed to the coast next week, and I'd like to think that I could turn this dude around, and make it do right,


but it "ain't" going to happen.



post-4670-0-24953000-1405080897.jpg



It's July, it's Summer, it's hot as heck, and the wind is going to be blowing from the land, out towards the ocean.


Crappy flying winds, at best, but as Rob mentioned, better that nothing.



Works great for sitting on the beach, sipping a cool one, and watching SLK's



:single:




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IDK, Nick, you might be in luck... with the 'Polar Vortex' coming back, that might be enough to flip the normal wind conditions for this time of year ! Of course, I'm looking at a nice 5-10mph onshore breeze this morning... from my window at work. :kid_cussing:

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IDK, Nick, you might be in luck... with the 'Polar Vortex' coming back, that might be enough to flip the normal wind conditions for this time of year ! Of course, I'm looking at a nice 5-10mph onshore breeze this morning... from my window at work. :kid_cussing:

Well Rob, that's really cool. I hadn't seen that. Just Google'd, and read about it. So you're right, we may be in luck............... :ani_victory:

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Well, you're probably right about the textbook science of what causes the wind. The area Nick is describing and where I live are similar land masses, on the coast, and we were just describing the actual observations in those areas. Whether it agrees with the textbook information available... well, I guess it doesn't.

BTW, we haven't had a day yet in the last month that there wasn't an offshore breeze in the afternoon. I know, because that's when I'm looking to fly. Not the best wind to fly in, but better than nothing !

The indoor crowd prefers to fly in nothing!

Here, here!! We don't need no stinkin' winds!!

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Brass tacks would start with the Coriolis effect driven by the sun heating air masses and the rotation of the earth. Then you get the jet stream, formation of high and lows, frontal weather, and local effects as mentioned above.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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I thought this was about kites :doh: (as in fun stuff) :confused!:

"ditto" on the.........."Refer to post #2 as often as necessary" :innocent:

"What is the science of wind direction?" hmmm Guess the OP's question was posted in the wrong forum. :kid_devlish:

?

Again, I thought this was about kites :doh:

and having fun ?

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