ABSTRACT
Obviously, wind energy or power is all about wind. In simple terms, wind is the response of the atmosphere to uneven heating conditions. Earth’s atmosphere is constantly in motion. Anyone observing the constant cloud movement and weather changes around them is well aware of this phenomenon. Although its physical manifestations are obvious, the importance of the dynamic state of our atmosphere is much less obvious. The constant motion of Earth’s atmosphere is both horizontal (wind) and vertical (air currents). This air movement is the result of thermal energy produced from heating of the surface of the Earth and the air molecules above. Because of differential heating of the surface of the planet, energy flows from the equator poleward. The energy resources contained in the wind in the United States are well known and mapped in detail (Hanson, 2004). It is clear that air movement plays a critical role in transporting the energy of the lower atmosphere, bringing the warming influences of spring and summer and the cold chill of winter, and wind and air currents are fundamental to how nature functions. Still, though, the effects of air movements on our environment are often overlooked. All life on Earth has evolved or has been sustained with mechanisms dependent on air movement; for example, pollen is carried by the winds for plant reproduction, animals sniff the wind for essential information, and wind power was the motive force during the earliest stages of the Industrial Revolution. We can also see other effects of winds. Wind causes weathering (erosion) of the Earth’s surface, wind influences ocean currents, and the wind carries air pollutants and contaminants such as radioactive particles that impact our environment.
