02-21-2012, 05:32 PM
(02-21-2012, 04:30 PM)Cracker Wrote: All wind is created by unequal heating of Earth's surface. Water heats up more slowly but retains heat longer. Land heats up quickly but also cools off quickly when the sun isn't shining. That difference in energy creates all winds. Cold air masses created over colder areas move down and toward the Equator, warm air masses move upward and toward the poles. When two air masses meet with different temps, all hell breaks loose. This year is an La Nina year, so the colder waters are dominating the weather patterns. When the sun is out warming things and La Nina air moves in, high winds are created. That's why we have more wind than snow this year. Snow and precipitation are carried by warmer air masses that meet cold masses. Colder masses that meet warmer masses cause more wind than snow.
Winds also create all surface waves (to about 10 ft/3 meters deep). Bigger waves are created by convection currents in the ocean. The bumpier the bottom of the ocean, the bigger the waves.
Didn't realize you were a fucking meteorologist too, Cracks. Holy shit! You know something about everything.
You were close with some of your observations, and people like Lucy just gobble it up. You'll have to do better with me.
Wind is generated mostly by how closely two opposing areas of pressure are to each other, i.e., a high pressure center and a low pressure center. Wind was what Lucy was wondering about.
Tell her all about pressure gradients, etc.
BTW, why don't you give us a lesson on the North Atlantic Oscillation and the Arctic Oscillation. That'll help explain why it's been such a mild winter for most of us here in the U.S.