Low-Frequency Rotation of Surface Winds over Canada
Hourly surface observations from the Canadian Weather Energy and Engineering Dataset were analyzed with respect to long-term wind direction drift or rotation. Most of the Canadian landmass, including the High Arctic, exhibits a spatially consistent and remarkably steady anticyclonic rotation of wind...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2012-10-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/3/4/522 |
| _version_ | 1818292318656004096 |
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| author | Richard B. Richardson Vladimir Y. Korolevych |
| author_facet | Richard B. Richardson Vladimir Y. Korolevych |
| author_sort | Richard B. Richardson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Hourly surface observations from the Canadian Weather Energy and Engineering Dataset were analyzed with respect to long-term wind direction drift or rotation. Most of the Canadian landmass, including the High Arctic, exhibits a spatially consistent and remarkably steady anticyclonic rotation of wind direction. The period of anticyclonic rotation recorded at 144 out of 149 Canadian meteostations directly correlated with latitude and ranged from 7 days at Medicine Hat (50°N, 110°W) to 25 days at Resolute (75°N, 95°W). Only five locations in the vicinity of the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Coast were found to obey a “negative” (i.e., cyclonic) rotation. The observed anticyclonic rotation appears to be a deterministic, virtually ubiquitous, and highly persistent feature of continental surface wind. These findings are directly applicable to probabilistic assessments of airborne pollutants. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T02:58:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6c8d7e0d53f8479ea9230f2e77041422 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T02:58:04Z |
| publishDate | 2012-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-6c8d7e0d53f8479ea9230f2e770414222022-12-22T00:01:55ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332012-10-013452253610.3390/atmos3040522Low-Frequency Rotation of Surface Winds over CanadaRichard B. RichardsonVladimir Y. KorolevychHourly surface observations from the Canadian Weather Energy and Engineering Dataset were analyzed with respect to long-term wind direction drift or rotation. Most of the Canadian landmass, including the High Arctic, exhibits a spatially consistent and remarkably steady anticyclonic rotation of wind direction. The period of anticyclonic rotation recorded at 144 out of 149 Canadian meteostations directly correlated with latitude and ranged from 7 days at Medicine Hat (50°N, 110°W) to 25 days at Resolute (75°N, 95°W). Only five locations in the vicinity of the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Coast were found to obey a “negative” (i.e., cyclonic) rotation. The observed anticyclonic rotation appears to be a deterministic, virtually ubiquitous, and highly persistent feature of continental surface wind. These findings are directly applicable to probabilistic assessments of airborne pollutants.http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/3/4/522low frequency variabilitysurface observationswind direction |
| spellingShingle | Richard B. Richardson Vladimir Y. Korolevych Low-Frequency Rotation of Surface Winds over Canada Atmosphere low frequency variability surface observations wind direction |
| title | Low-Frequency Rotation of Surface Winds over Canada |
| title_full | Low-Frequency Rotation of Surface Winds over Canada |
| title_fullStr | Low-Frequency Rotation of Surface Winds over Canada |
| title_full_unstemmed | Low-Frequency Rotation of Surface Winds over Canada |
| title_short | Low-Frequency Rotation of Surface Winds over Canada |
| title_sort | low frequency rotation of surface winds over canada |
| topic | low frequency variability surface observations wind direction |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/3/4/522 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT richardbrichardson lowfrequencyrotationofsurfacewindsovercanada AT vladimirykorolevych lowfrequencyrotationofsurfacewindsovercanada |