This extraordinarily beautiful scientific term is associated with romance, adventure and travel. Wind rose … What is it, who and when invented it? Where is this chart used? And how to draw a wind rose? Our article will tell about all this.
What is wind and how is it measured
One of the most important phenomena in nature is the wind. In ancient times, people could not explain the essence of this phenomenon, so they often personified it in the form of various deities. Today, scientists with full responsibility can say what the wind is and what its nature is. The study of this phenomenon is carried out by representatives of such sciences as physics, meteorology, geography. The wind rose just helps scientists to systematize and present in a compressed form the results of long-term observations of this phenomenon in a particular area.
Ever since school, we know that the wind is a horizontal flow of air resulting from an uneven distribution of atmospheric pressure and moving parallel to the earth's surface. It is characterized by such parameters as force, direction and speed. Measure the strength and speed of the windusing a special device - an anemometer, and its direction - a weather vane.
In order to determine the wind regime in a particular area (that is, where and how often it blows during a month or a year), a special diagram was invented - a wind rose. What it is? And how to make it right? This will be discussed further.
Wind rose: pictures and description
Artists, poets and even tattoo artists have long had their eyes on this beautiful scientific term. However, its original meaning is quite prosaic and everyday. The term is widely used in geography, meteorology, climatology, wind energy, construction and some other areas of scientific and practical human life. So, wind rose - what is it?
The wind rose is a special type of vector diagrams that characterize the wind regime in a particular area and for a certain period of time (month, year or several years). Outwardly, such a diagram resembles a polygon, divided into eight (or more) points - along the main cardinal points. What does a classic wind rose look like? The photo below will give you a visual representation of this.
Any wind rose is based on real meteorological observations. By the length of the rays of the polygon, one can easily determine the direction of the prevailing winds in a particular area (village, city, region). So, for example, if in the village N 120 out of 365 days a year the wind blows from the north, then the corresponding ray on the graph will belongest.
History of the wind rose
Meteorologists came up with a funny legend about a certain girl Rosa, who worked at a weather station and had a rather "windy" character. This is where the name of the term “Wind Rose” supposedly comes from.
In fact, the history of this symbol goes back to ancient times. Initially, sailors used it as their professional emblem. The wind was an important assistant to any experienced sailor. Knowing its direction and seasonal features, the captain accurately corrected the course and confidently led his ship on long voyages.
It is worth noting that the first full-fledged wind roses began to appear on portolans (nautical charts) of the 15th century. Before that, they looked more like the stylized arrows of an ordinary compass.
Such a concept as "wind rose" exists in heraldry. For example, this element can be found on some city emblems, as well as on the emblems of such well-known organizations as the CIA or NATO.
Recently, the image of the wind rose is very popular in the form of a tattoo. Such a pattern, applied to the skin, is considered an excellent amulet for travelers, truckers and, of course, for sailors.
Types and examples of using the wind rose
There are two main varieties of this mathematical diagram. This is a classic graphical and numerical wind rose. The last diagram is complemented by the corresponding numerical values indicatingthe number of days in a year that the wind of a certain direction blew.
Most often in meteorology 8-beam or 16-beam charts are used. But sometimes you can also find wind roses, consisting of 360 rays. Many diagrams are generated using special computer programs. They look something like this.
The wind rose chart is used in various scientific disciplines and fields of human activity. Among them:
- meteorology;
- geography;
- climatology;
- urban development;
- ecology;
- agronomy;
- forestry and park management.
The wind rose is certainly taken into account when laying highways, building runways, planning residential areas. They are also used in weather forecasting.
Drawing "Wind Rose". How to build it correctly
To compile the most elementary wind rose, you will need a little: a simple pencil, a ruler, meteorological data and a calculator for calculations.
First, you need to draw four axes on paper: two main axes (north-south and west-east) and two additional ones (northwest-southeast and northeast-southwest). Next, you should choose a suitable scale for your future chart and start plotting on each of the axes the number of days in which the wind blew in this direction. For example, if the north wind was observed 15 days a year, then 15 divisions should be marked on the corresponding beam of the diagram.
After that you canto start the most pleasant part of the work - to build the actual wind rose. To do this, you need to connect the points on all axes of the diagram (in the case of a standard 8-beam diagram, there should be eight of them) into a single figure. At the end, for greater clarity, this figure should be shaded with some color.
It is very quick and easy to build a wind rose using the standard Microsoft Excel program. To do this, select a special type of chart - "Radar".
In closing
Wind rose - what is it? Now you can definitely give a detailed answer to this question. This is a vector diagram that characterizes the wind regime for a particular territory. Building wind roses is actively practiced in meteorology, geography, ecology, agronomy, construction, forestry, etc.
