Wind shear facts for kids
Wind shear is a difference in either wind speed or direction over a fairly short distance in the atmosphere. Wind shear can be divided into two different types: horizontal and vertical wind shear.
When wind shear is observed
Weather situations when the Wind shear is observed happen:
- At weather fronts when the temperature difference across the front is 5 °C or more, and the front moves at 15 kt or faster.
- At low level jets when a significant low level vertical wind shear can develop near the lower portion of the low level jet.
- At mountains when winds blow over and create vertical shear on the lee side.
- At inversions when on a clear and calm night a radiation inversion is formed near the ground.
- At downbursts when an outflow boundary moves away from a thunderstorm.
- At sailing when wind shear affects sailboats by presenting a different wind speed and direction at different heights along the sailing mast.
Related pages
Images for kids
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Down draft winds with associated virga allow these clouds in the eastern sky at civil twilight to mimic aurora borealis in the Mojave desert
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Depiction of where the planetary boundary layer lies on a sunny day
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Wreckage of Delta Air Lines Flight 191 tail section after a microburst slammed the aircraft into the ground. Another aircraft can be seen flying in the background past the crash scene.
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Cirrus uncinus ice crystal plumes showing high level wind shear, with changes in wind speed and direction.
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Strong wind shear in the high troposphere forms the anvil-shaped top of this mature cumulonimbus cloud, or thunderstorm.
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Glider ground launch affected by wind shear.
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Effect of wind shear on aircraft trajectory. Note how merely correcting for the initial gust front can have dire consequences.
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Hodograph plot of wind vectors at various heights in the troposphere. Meteorologists can use this plot to evaluate vertical wind shear in weather forecasting. (Source: NOAA)
See also
In Spanish: Cizalladura para niños
