This unusually beautiful scientific term is associated with romance, adventure and travel for many. Wind rose ... What is it, who invented it and when? 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, therefore 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. Representatives of such sciences as physics, meteorology, and geography are studying this phenomenon. The wind rose helps scientists to systematize and present in a condensed form the results of long-term observations of this phenomenon in a particular area.
Even from school, we know that the wind is a horizontal stream of air arising from the uneven distribution of atmospheric pressure and moving parallel to the earth's surface. It is characterized by parameters such as force, direction and speed. The strength and speed of the wind is measured using a special device - an anemometer, and its direction - with a weather vane.
In order to determine the wind regime in a particular area (that is, where and how often it blows for a month or a year), a special diagram has been invented - a wind rose. What it is? And how to make it right? This will be discussed later.
Wind rose: pictures and description
Artists, poets, and even tattoo artists have long been “laid 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 life. So wind rose - what is it?
Wind rose is a special type of vector diagrams that help to characterize the wind regime in a particular area and over a certain period of time (month, year or several years). Outwardly, such a diagram resembles a polygon, divided into eight (or more) rhombuses - on 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 built on the basis of real meteorological observations. By the length of the rays of the polygon, you 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 of 365 days a year the wind blows from the north, then the corresponding beam on the graph will be the longest.
The story of the wind rose
Meteorologists have come up with a funny legend about a certain girl, Rose, who worked at a weather station and was distinguished by a rather "windy" character. From here the name of the term "wind rose" allegedly originates.
In fact, the history of this symbol goes back to antiquity. Initially, it was used by sailors as their professional emblem. The wind was an important helper to any experienced sailor. Knowing its direction and seasonal features, the captain correctly corrected the course and confidently guided 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. Prior to that, they were more like stylized arrows of a conventional compass.
Such a concept as “wind rose” also 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 wind roses
There are two main varieties of this mathematical diagram. This is a classic graphic and numerical wind rose. The last diagram is supplemented by corresponding numerical values indicating the number of days in a year in which a certain direction wind was blowing.
Most often in meteorology, 8-ray or 16-ray diagrams are used. But sometimes you can see wind roses, consisting of 360 rays. Many charts are generated using special computer programs. They look something like this.
The wind rose chart is used in various scientific disciplines and areas of human activity. Among those:
- meteorology;
- geography;
- climatology;
- urban planning;
- ecology;
- agronomy;
- forestry and parks.
The wind rose is certainly taken into account when laying highways, building runways, and planning residential areas. They are also used in weather forecasts.
Drawing "Wind rose". How to build it
To compile the most elementary wind rose you will need a little: a simple pencil, a ruler, meteorological observations and a calculator for calculations.
First you need to draw four axes on paper: two main (north-south and west-east) and two additional (north-west - southeast and north-east - south-west). Next, you should choose an appropriate scale for your future chart and begin to postpone on each axis 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 noted on the corresponding ray of the diagram.
After that, you can proceed to the most enjoyable 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 the standard 8-ray diagram, there should be eight of them) into a single figure. In the end, for clarity, this figure should be shaded in any 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 - “Petal”.
Finally
Wind rose - what is it? Now you can definitely give a detailed answer to this question. This is a vector diagram characterizing the wind regime for a particular territory. The construction of wind roses is actively practiced in meteorology, geography, ecology, agronomy, construction, forestry, etc.