Wind

[john smith]

Probably been asked before, but I'm too lazy to google it.
Is wind caused by being "pushed" (blown) or "pulled" (sucked)?

[Gig 601XL Builder]

"john smith" > wrote in message
...
> Probably been asked before, but I'm too lazy to google it.
> Is wind caused by being "pushed" (blown) or "pulled" (sucked)?

Yes.

[Bob Gardner]

Both. Air is drawn inward to a low pressure area and then rises, so you
could say that it is being sucked. OTOH, air descending at a high pressure
center flows outward, so you could say it is being pushed.

Bob Gardner

"john smith" > wrote in message
...
> Probably been asked before, but I'm too lazy to google it.
> Is wind caused by being "pushed" (blown) or "pulled" (sucked)?

[Nick]

Is it drawn by low pressure or pushed by higher pressure?
I believe this typifies the glass half empty or half full issue.



Bob Gardner wrote:
> Both. Air is drawn inward to a low pressure area and then rises, so you
> could say that it is being sucked. OTOH, air descending at a high pressure
> center flows outward, so you could say it is being pushed.
>
> Bob Gardner
>
> "john smith" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Probably been asked before, but I'm too lazy to google it.
>>Is wind caused by being "pushed" (blown) or "pulled" (sucked)?
>
>
>

[Morgans]

"Gig 601XL Builder" <wr.giacona@coxDOTnet> wrote in message
news:fRb7f.49178$b65.5026@okepread01...
>
> "john smith" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Probably been asked before, but I'm too lazy to google it.
> > Is wind caused by being "pushed" (blown) or "pulled" (sucked)?
>
> Yes.

<Chuckle> No fair! You beat me to it!
--
Jim in NC

[Bob Gardner]

Well, air rises at a low pressure center (that's why the pressure is low).
Nature abhors a vacuum, so air must move in to replace the air that has
risen. It's sure not being pushed by an outside force.

Conversely, air descends at a high pressure center. It can't continue to
descend once it hits the surface, so it moves away, rotating clockwise in
the northern hemisphere. In this case, there certainly is a push...by the
weight of the descending air. Pretty basic stuff.

Bob Gardner

"Nick" > wrote in message
...
> Is it drawn by low pressure or pushed by higher pressure?
> I believe this typifies the glass half empty or half full issue.
>
>
>
> Bob Gardner wrote:
>> Both. Air is drawn inward to a low pressure area and then rises, so you
>> could say that it is being sucked. OTOH, air descending at a high
>> pressure center flows outward, so you could say it is being pushed.
>>
>> Bob Gardner
>>
>> "john smith" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>>Probably been asked before, but I'm too lazy to google it.
>>>Is wind caused by being "pushed" (blown) or "pulled" (sucked)?
>>
>>

[Mike Rapoport]

It is kinetic energy of each molecule that moves the the air. The particles
are just bouncing off other particles in a radom fashion. The low pressure
area has fewer molecules to run into (and bounce back towards the higher
pressure) so the molecules generally move towards the low pressure. Thus
it is the high pressure driving the air.

Mike
MU-2


"Bob Gardner" > wrote in message
...
> Well, air rises at a low pressure center (that's why the pressure is low).
> Nature abhors a vacuum, so air must move in to replace the air that has
> risen. It's sure not being pushed by an outside force.
>
> Conversely, air descends at a high pressure center. It can't continue to
> descend once it hits the surface, so it moves away, rotating clockwise in
> the northern hemisphere. In this case, there certainly is a push...by the
> weight of the descending air. Pretty basic stuff.
>
> Bob Gardner
>
> "Nick" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Is it drawn by low pressure or pushed by higher pressure?
>> I believe this typifies the glass half empty or half full issue.
>>
>>
>>
>> Bob Gardner wrote:
>>> Both. Air is drawn inward to a low pressure area and then rises, so you
>>> could say that it is being sucked. OTOH, air descending at a high
>>> pressure center flows outward, so you could say it is being pushed.
>>>
>>> Bob Gardner
>>>
>>> "john smith" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>
>>>>Probably been asked before, but I'm too lazy to google it.
>>>>Is wind caused by being "pushed" (blown) or "pulled" (sucked)?
>>>
>>>
>

[Matt Whiting]

john smith wrote:

> Probably been asked before, but I'm too lazy to google it.
> Is wind caused by being "pushed" (blown) or "pulled" (sucked)?

Yes.

Matt

[Matt Whiting]

Mike Rapoport wrote:

> It is kinetic energy of each molecule that moves the the air. The particles
> are just bouncing off other particles in a radom fashion. The low pressure
> area has fewer molecules to run into (and bounce back towards the higher
> pressure) so the molecules generally move towards the low pressure. Thus
> it is the high pressure driving the air.

But how did you get all those molecules out of the area in order to form
the low? Conversely, how did you get all of the molecules together to
form the high?

Matt

[Aluckyguess]

"Matt Whiting" > wrote in message
...
> Mike Rapoport wrote:
>
>> It is kinetic energy of each molecule that moves the the air. The
>> particles are just bouncing off other particles in a radom fashion. The
>> low pressure area has fewer molecules to run into (and bounce back
>> towards the higher pressure) so the molecules generally move towards the
>> low pressure. Thus it is the high pressure driving the air.
>
> But how did you get all those molecules out of the area in order to form
> the low? Conversely, how did you get all of the molecules together to
> form the high?
>
> Matt
The heating and the cooling of air. The warmer it gets the air expands, this
would be the push. When the air cools and and condenses you get the pull.

[Mike Rapoport]

I forget the exact mechanism but in the middle lattitudes of the northern
hemisphere it generally begins with a small wave in the polar front which
detaches and begins to move east and south in the prevailing westerly
winds. In my recollection most of the lows in the US originate in or north
of the Aleutions. They then travel over southeast Alaska (which is why it
is so wet) in into the northwest. Once the low is formed, air moves inward
and then upward where it can be removed by the jet stream. It would seem
that lows would "fill in" quickly, but, since the winds follow the isobars
instead of heading directly for the low, it takes a long time. This is
obviously not a complete explanation of all lows and only what I recall from
reading weather texts..

Mike
MU-2


"Matt Whiting" > wrote in message
...
> Mike Rapoport wrote:
>
>> It is kinetic energy of each molecule that moves the the air. The
>> particles are just bouncing off other particles in a radom fashion. The
>> low pressure area has fewer molecules to run into (and bounce back
>> towards the higher pressure) so the molecules generally move towards the
>> low pressure. Thus it is the high pressure driving the air.
>
> But how did you get all those molecules out of the area in order to form
> the low? Conversely, how did you get all of the molecules together to
> form the high?
>
> Matt

[tony roberts]

Beans - I think.
I'm also too lazy to Google it.

Tony
--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Cessna 172H C-GICE

> Probably been asked before, but I'm too lazy to google it.
> Is wind caused by being "pushed" (blown) or "pulled" (sucked)?