wind aeolian kinetic
From distributing seeds and moisture to powering the navigation of sailing ships, wind has been a necessity for the progression of life on Earth.
edmond halley’s map trade winds
Best known for predicting the return of a comet in 1682, the English astronomer Edmond Halley also contributed greatly to the field of mapmaking. In 1686, Halley developed the above map which visualizes trade winds of the world and attempts to pinpoint their origins. This map (and accompanying paper on the subject) was the first of its kind and became an important resource to help sailors overcome difficulties navigating in seas where winds could easily blow ships astray.
beaufort scale beaufort number
description
wind speed
wave height
km/h
mph
kts
m/s
m
f
0
Calm
<1
<1
<1
<0.3
0
0
1
Light air
1-5
1-3
1-2
0.3-1.5
0.1
0.33
2
Light breeze
6-11
3-7
3-6
1.5-3.3
0.2
0.66
3
Gentle breeze
12-19
8-12
7-10
3.3-5.5
0.6
2
4
Moderate breeze
20-28
13-17
11-15
5.5-8.0
1
3.3
5
Fresh breeze
29-38
18-24
16-20
8.0-10.8
2
6.6
6
Strong breeze
39-49
25-30
21-26
10.8-13.9
3
9.9
7
Moderate Gale
50-61
31-38
27-33
13.9-17.2
4
13.1
8
Fresh gale
62-74
39-46
34-40
17.2-20.7
5.5
18
9
Strong gale
75-88
47-54
41-47
20.7-24.5
7
23
10
Whole gale
89-102
55-63
48-55
24.5-28.4
9
29.5
11
Storm
103-117
64-72
56-63
28.4-32.6
11.5
37.7
12
Hurricane-force
118+
73+
64+
32.6+
14+
46+
sea conditions
land conditions
Flat.
Calm; smoke rises vertically.
Ripples without crests.
Smoke drift indicates wind direction; vanes do not move.
Small wavelets; crests of glassy appearance, not breaking.
Wind felt on exposed skin; leaves rustle; vanes begin to move.
Large wavelets; crests begin to break; scattered whitecaps.
Leaves and small twigs in constant motion; light flags extended.
Small waves.
Dust and leaves raised up; small branches begin to move.
Moderate (1.2 m) longer waves; some foam and spray.
Branches of a moderate size move; small trees begin to sway.
Large waves with foam crests; some spray.
Large branches in motion; whistling heard in overhead wires; umbrella use becomes difficult; empty garbage cans tip over.
Sea heaps up and foam begins to be blown in streaks in wind direction.
Whole trees in motion; effort needed to walk against the wind; swaying of skyscrapers may be felt by people on upper floors.
Moderately high waves with breaking crests form spindrift.
Twigs and small branches broken from trees; cars veer on the road.
High waves (6-7 m) with dense foam; wave crests start to roll over; considerable spray.
Larger branches break off trees; some small trees blow over; construction/temporary signs and barricades blow over; damage to circus tents and canopies; slate blown from roofs.
Very high waves; large patches of foam from wave crests give the sea a white appearance; considerable tumbling of waves with heavy impact; large amounts of airborne spray reduce visibility.
Trees are broken off or uprooted; saplings bent and deformed; slight structural damage occurs; poorly attached asphalt shingles and shingles in poor condition peel off roofs; seldom experienced on land.
Exceptionally high waves; very large patches of foam, driven before the wind, cover much of the sea surface; very large amounts of airborne spray severely reduce visibility.
Widespread vegetation damage; more damage to most roofing surfaces; asphalt tiles that have curled up and/or fractured due to age may break away completely; very rarely experienced on land, usually with widespread damage.
Huge waves; sea is completely white with foam and spray; air is filled with driving spray, greatly reducing visibility.
Violence and destruction; considerable and widespread damage to vegetation; structural damage to homes and poorly constructed sheds and barns; debris may be hurled about.
movement of air molecules atmospheric currents
Throughout the day, sunlight shines through the atmosphere and heats layers of air. These warmed masses rise while cooler air sinks. It is this opposition of movement which sends a plethora of swirling molecules into swift motion across the land.
duo for windchime
ventoso
and aeolian harp
cultural wind
aeolus
Aeolus is the Greek god of the four winds: Boreas, Eurus, Notos, and Zephyros. He keeps the winds in island caves and gives Odysseus the gentle west wind to help him get to Ithaca.
wizardry
In 13th-century Lapland and Finland, sailors in stagnant waters could buy a knotted thread with three enchanted knots. Each would bring a certain breeze if loosened.
holy wind
In Navajo tradition, wind is a spiritual force which brings breath to human life, creates the whorls on fingertips and toes, and provides wisdom throughout life.
feng po
With a white beard and a colored hat, the Chinese god of wind holds the breezes in a goatskin sack slung across his back. He opens it in the direction he wishes wind to blow.
The young spiders just waved. For several days and several nights they crawled here and there, around and about, waving at Wilbur, exploring their home. There were so many of them. Wilbur tried to count them, but they kept moving and there were so many. Then one morning, as a warm wind blew softly over Zuckerman’s farm, one tiny spider leaped away into the wind.
spider 1
Goodbye! wilbur
Wait! Wilbur watched in horror as the little spider floated away on the wind. Then suddenly, another baby spider leaped into the wind as well and floated away. Then another and another.
spiders
Goodbye! wilbur
Stop! Come back, children! spider 2
We’re leaving on the warm updraft. This is our moment for setting forth. We are aeronauts and we are going out into the world to make webs for ourselves. wilbur
But where? spider 3
Wherever the wind takes us. High, low, near, far, east, west, north, south. We take to the breeze, we go as we please. wilbur
No. Please don’t go. I’ll be all alone. Your mother wouldn’t want that to happen, I’m sure. Please don’t go.
Soon the sky was filled with baby spiders, floating away on the wind. Wilbur sank to the ground, crying, his heart broken once more.
~charlotte’s web
seed distribution
number of seeds blown
4,908,813,294
farthest distance traveled
703.6 mi
fastest wind speed
64.6 mph
highest altitude reached
5124 ft
number of plants grown
868,079,225
the kite
ceremony
Kites were first invented in China and spread to other parts of Asia where they flew in ceremonies for religious purposes, as music-makers, and to inspire fertility or happiness.
fishing
In Micronesia and Polynesia, fishermen have used kites for hundreds of years. From the kite drops a line and a lure which is controlled by the flier to attract fish.
battle
Chinese dragon kites were used to frighten opposing armies and lift scouts into the air in order to seek out the enemy.
messages
Arctic mail kites delivered official messages to planes when there were no landing strips, as well as to ships across small bodies of icy water.
carriages
In the 1800s, English schoolteacher George Pocock invented the Charvolant, a kite-drawn carriage which utilized multiple kites with lines up to 1500 feet long.
discovery
Benjamin Franklinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kite experiment showed that lightning is actually electricity. Kites were also used by meteorologists to study weather conditions high in the atmosphere.
targets
The U.S. Navy used maneuverable Eddy kites with images of Japanese planes on them as targets for gunners to practice their skills on land and at sea.
sport
Today kites are used for a variety of sports including hang gliding, snow kiting, kite surfing, kite buggying, kite skating, and stunt kiting.
tournaments
In Afghanistan and other countries, fighter kites are flown in competitions where shards of glass are glued to the lines with the goal of cutting the opponentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kite loose.
pleasure
From traditional diamond-shaped kite to multi-module high fliers, a variety of kites are built and flown for pure enjoyment and natural satisfaction.
sustainable flight kite design
Kite flying is a universal activity which keeps us in touch with the environment and our natural spirit. The materials, design, and flight of this kite spread awareness of sustainable resources we have around us, as well as the interconnectedness we have with our planet. The kite is made from bamboo, hemp, and 100% recycled paper manufactured with wind power. It is flown with one of our greatest renewable resources: the wind.
wind power
kite farm
Large computer-controlled kites can fly to high altitudes where wind flow is strong and consistent. Tethered to generators, a â&#x20AC;&#x153;farmâ&#x20AC;? may produce 100,000 megawatts.
wind turbine
A modern turbine converts wind energy into mechanical energy, which is then converted into hundreds of kilowatts of usable electricity.
american windmill
In the American west during the mid to late 1800s, windmills were manufactured by the thousands and purchased by farms to pump water from underground.
traditional windmill
The first windmills were developed in Persia to grind grain. The Dutch are most famous for their windmills, which they started building 800 years later in the 1300s.
the paper in this book was created with wind energy
The emissions produced in the manufacturing process have been offset with Verified Emissions Reduction credits, effectively making this paper carbon neutral. This paper contains 100% post-consumer waste fibers, is process-chlorine free, and is certified by Green Seal and the Forestry Stewardship Council.