Understanding winds, jet streams How winds form A graphic and text explain how the air pressure differences start the wind blowing. Another graphic and text explain how the Coriolis effect keeps winds from blowing in a straight line. Different kinds...

A gentle breeze cools the home on a hot summer day. A colorful kite floats high above the heads of a picnicking family at play. The tinkling of chimes beneath a baby's bedroom window lulls the infant to sleep. With sails unfurled, a sailboat races toward the horizon. The wind is friend. A hurricane roars inland, destroying homes and communities. Without warning, a thunderstorm rolls into town, ...

Quick Links In-Residence Shelter Tested Shelters Wind Library Wind Publications Engineering for Kids Current Research FEMA 361: Design and Construction Guidance for Community Shelters, a design guide for architects and engineers is now available from FEMA. News In The Wind WISE News I C W E Lubbock, TX, June 2-5, 2003 Short Course on Design of Window Glass Wind Science and Engineering Research ...

Chapter 10 - Wind: small-scale and local systems Chapter 10 links of interest USA Today - Basic meteorological concepts Wind Turbine Technology From the School of Mechanical Engineering at Cranfield University, this site gives a technical overview of current wind turbine technology. Wind Energy Potential in the United States This paper from the National Wind Technology Center assesses the ...

The Beaufort Scale The Beaufort Scale or Beaufort Wind Force Scale is a system for estimating wind strengths without the use of instruments, based on the effects wind has on the physical environment. The behaviour of smoke, waves, trees, etc., is rated on a 13 point scale of 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane). The scale was devised in 1805 by the British naval Commander, later Admiral, Sir Francis ...

Graphic by: Yiqi Shao The weight of the air above an object exerts a force per unit area upon that object and this force is called pressure. Variations in pressure lead to the development of winds, which in turn influence our daily weather. The purpose of this module is to introduce pressure, how it changes with height and the importance of high and low pressure systems. In addition, this module ...