#anticyclones

[mumblelard]

i found a single doll-sized snorkel flipper, still muddy from their climb out of the lake, and i tried to think of a one sentence story like the one that ernest didn't write, but i couldn't think of anything more concise than:

as anticyclone lucifer swept into italy and europe hit it's hottest day on record, mumblelard found a single doll-sized snorkel flipper...

[mostly-history]

Ireland (October 2010), from the Aqua satellite.

Green vegetation, mostly grassland, covers most of Ireland except for the exposed rock on mountaintops.  This is possible due to moderate temperatures and moist air.  The Atlantic Ocean, especially the warm currents in the North Atlantic Drift, gives the country a more temperate climate than most other countries at the same latitude.

The moist ocean air also contributes to Ireland's abundant rainfall – between 750 and 2,000 millimetres of rain per year.  Most of the rain falls in light showers.  The mountains and the western part of Ireland get a lot of rain compared to the rest of the country.

This moist climate leads to plenty of clouds and fog – the sky is cloudy more than 50% of the time.  There are more clouds during the day than at night, and fog is common.

This photograph is entirely cloud-free, which is very rare.  It was taken on October 11th, at a time of year when the weather alternates between rainstorms from the west and cool, dry weather brought by high-pressure systems known as anticyclones.

[peacemore-springs]

Where Does A Wind Come From?

Wind originates from the sun’s uneven heating of the Earth. As sunlight warms different areas, it creates warm spots and cool spots. For instance, sea breezes occur when inland regions heat up during sunny afternoons, causing the air to rise.

It rises primarily due to differences in temperature and pressure. When sunlight heats the Earth’s surface, it warms the air above it. Warm air is less dense and lighter, so it tends to rise. Conversely, cooler air is denser and sinks. So air rises and sinks.

Additionally, changes in air pressure play a crucial role in wind formation.

Air pressure results from the weight of air molecules above a surface. Even though individual air molecules are tiny, their collective weight exerts pressure on whatever lies below. As the number of air molecules increases so does the pressure. Fewer molecules lead to lower pressure.

This atmospheric pressure affects weather patterns, with high-pressure areas (anticyclones) bringing settled conditions and low-pressure zones (depressions) causing unsettled weather and cloud formation.

Differences in temperature between the equator and the poles lead to thermal wind, which drives weather systems globally.

So, in essence, wind begins as a result of these temperature variations that are created by the sun unevenly heating the surface of the earth.

[prevailing-westerly]

These guys, they find the warmest spots on the coldest days!

I know it's just physics. Anticyclone is a high-pressure system which brings clear skies which, in turn, gives more incoming solar radiation daytime but also more outgoing solar radiation nighttime, thus colder temperatures in winter.

Hence the nordic belief. If a human in the morning is cursing and crying while scraping the overnight ice off the windshield of their vehicle, their cat will be sunbathing its nuts.