APOD: The Winds of Earth (2016 Oct 10)

[APOD Robot]

The Winds of Earth

Explanation: Which way is the wind blowing? The featured map can tell you this and much more, no matter your location on planet Earth. The dynamic map displays supercomputer forecasts drawn from multiple sources of global satellite data updated every three hours. Bright swirls usually indicate low pressure systems with high wind speeds, including dramatic cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons. Although the globe can be rotated interactively here, to obtain full interactivity -- including the ability to zoom -- you should click the word "earth" on the lower left or send your browser directly to https://earth.nullschool.net. The "earth" control panel there further allows you to overlay temperature, humidity, pressure, precipitation, and carbon dioxide maps, or even switch to displaying higher altitude wind speeds or ocean currents. In particular during times of rapid change, the displayed maps may be outdated or inaccurate.

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[gorade]

Seems like the winds only blow over water. Over land it is dead calm.

[Abalone]

Hm, there's a very similar website: https://www.windytv.com - which one was first? Who knows.

[Boomer12k]

Nice... but useless, I need Clouds and Rain... which it is doing... don't matter the direction of the wind... and as long as it is not too hard... need temp too...
I am sure some scientist is real proud of himself though...

Hope to have decent evening to get out my FIXED Meade 8" LS scope...on Monday night.
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[Boomer12k]

Seems like the winds only blow over water. Over land it is dead calm.

Click on "Earth" then on the site, click on land...it will zoom in....

Hope that helps.
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[JohnD]

Seems like the winds only blow over water. Over land it is dead calm.

Not so! Maybe wait a few seconds.

There is a strong wind blowing into central Africa from Egypt, north east over Tibet, north into central Australia fron the Great Bight, and as for Antarctica! It may, of course, have changed if you're not looking at this again for some hours. And the land tends to weaken sea bourne winds, just because it, well, gets in the way.

This, like the interactive view of Comet 67P, and maybe more so, is an masterclass in integration of data. You can look back in time and forwards in forecast, as well as add all those other parameters (I like the Misery Index!)

I can see the remnant of Hurricane Matthew heading for the UK, but thanks to the unusual, for this season, high pressure over Scandinavia, halting in the Western Approaches, weakening and moving southwestwards towards Spain where it will probably be no worse than an ordinary depression. But in the same time frame, another intense depression forms over Bermuda and moves north east parallel to the North American coastline,intensifying all the time until it's off Newfoundland and we reach the limit of the forecast, about two days from now.

On both sides of the North Atlantic, we're in for a bumpy ride this Autumn!

JOhn
PS for a brief mindblow, try the "Stereographic" projection map!

[geckzilla]

Nice... but useless, I need Clouds and Rain... which it is doing... don't matter the direction of the wind... and as long as it is not too hard... need temp too...
I am sure some scientist is real proud of himself though...

I find your post irritating because there are overlay options for clouds, precipitation, temperature, and heck, even misery.
https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/w ... thographic

[Wolf]

This is a very innovative and impressive almost real-time data visualization of weather! Weather or not it is ground breaking, I'm not sure.

However, I do find the "overlay" acronyms a bit non-intuitive; probably even for the average geek. The menu is fairly easy to find.

Nice combination of data, science, and artistry!

[geckzilla]

However, I do find the "overlay" acronyms a bit non-intuitive; probably even for the average geek. The menu is fairly easy to find.

Maybe it's broken for you, but when I hover the acronyms more details appear. It would indeed be confusing to most without explanation.

[Wolf]

However, I do find the "overlay" acronyms a bit non-intuitive; probably even for the average geek. The menu is fairly easy to find.

Maybe it's broken for you, but when I hover the acronyms more details appear. It would indeed be confusing to most without explanation.

No, that works, but it takes a bit of work. I guess I should have said "visually intuitive for instant recognition." Perhaps like a cloud icon and then you could circle down if more information is needed. Just an opinion.

[jcolter]

I have noticed in Earth Nullschool that the winds measured in hurricanes are considerably lower than the category as reported elsewhere. For example, while Hurricane Matthew was a category 4, the winds as measured by the device on Earth Nullschool remained in the category 2 range. Is there an explanation for this discrepancy? For example, it might be a geometric issue, that the measuring device is not able to reach the precision needed in so small an area. If so, it is a limitation of the system and I need to understand those limitations to use it properly. Jetstream winds measure 257 km/h today. Is that a reliable measurement?

[jlm52]

Seems like the winds only blow over water. Over land it is dead calm.

Click on "Earth" then on the site, click on land...it will zoom in....
Hope that helps.
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Boomer,
I hate to appear so clueless, but I cannot find the 'land' you refer to. After clicking on Earth, the modes are 'air ocean chem particulates'. Where is the land?

[rstevenson]

Coincidentally, a friend showed me Ventusky last night, and I was looking at it just a few minutes before seeing this APOD. Judging from what's happening outside my window right now, it seems pretty accurate and up-to-the-minute. Try it out at ventusky.com. It was developed by InMeteo, from Pilsen in the Czech Republic. The interface came up in English on my computer without my having to do anything to make that happen.

Rob

[Guest]

Fascinating!
Since at any elevation, the wind entering a point does NOT necessarily equal the wind exiting that point, can I assume continuity is satisfied by considering vertical flows??

[Wolf]

Coincidentally, a friend showed me Ventusky last night, and I was looking at it just a few minutes before seeing this APOD. Judging from what's happening outside my window right now, it seems pretty accurate and up-to-the-minute. Try it out at ventusky.com. It was developed by InMeteo, from Pilsen in the Czech Republic. The interface came up in English on my computer without my having to do anything to make that happen.

Rob

Wow! Those are some intuitive icons! https://www.ventusky.com/

[neufer]

Since at any elevation, the wind entering a point does NOT necessarily equal the wind exiting that point, can I assume continuity is satisfied by considering vertical flows??

Yes.

[MrSpectroscopy]

Hm, there's a very similar website: https://www.windytv.com - which one was first? Who knows.

Yes, that UI is actually much better in my opinion. Not only that but they have a really nice app for smartphones too.

[JohnD]

Guest,
It's not obvious but it uses "hectopascals", hPa (normally a Pascal is a unit of pressure) as a measure of height. I am reliably informed (Isn't Wiki reliable?) that this is "geopotential height" or "pressure altitude" that takes local gravity into account. Click on the various heights, from Surface to 10hPa (31,000m, 100,000 ft) and see the winds stop being influenced by land and becoming the jet streams.

Still fascinating me!
John