The area where I live is known for many things. Because of the history of the area, people
often refer to it as “The Old West.” “Cowboys
and Indians” fought here. This region is
also the Hummingbird Capital of the United States, with myriad varieties of
birds. People come from around the world
to see our birds. Fort Huachuca, home of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center, is located here. The San Pedro River, a river of major
ecological importance and one of only two rivers that runs north from Mexico
into the United States.
Another thing this area is known for is the frequent
high winds. Today’s forecast:
Strong and gusty winds
will develop this morning and continue into late evening. A red flag warning
and a wind advisory are in effect from 8 am to 11 PM MST. Areas of blowing dust
are expected.
We have had a few very
windy days this week, and it is expected to continue through tomorrow
night. I really dislike high winds. Most people are not aware that wind can
actually cause many physical and mental problems, because of the positive ions that come along
with it. You’re likely thinking about
allergies, and wind can definitely cause allergy flare-ups. However, in addition to allergies, studies
show that the wind can cause headaches, dizziness, fatigue, respiratory
problems, asthma and more. Those pesky
positive ions, for some people, cause nervousness, emotional unbalance, easily
irritated, apathy, listlessness, insecurity, anxiety and depression. I have asthma, and I become anxious when high
winds blow for an extensive time – like this week.
Curious about wind, although I’ve always heard
something about high and low pressure, I never really paid much attention. So I did a little research.
I learned that wind is simply
moving air (I didn’t need to be told that) and is caused by differences in air pressure
within the atmosphere. When air is under high pressure, it moves toward areas
of low pressure. The greater the difference in pressure, the faster the air
flows.
The highest wind ever measured
by Doppler radar is 318 mph during an Oklahoma tornado in 1999.
Wind speeds are based on
the descriptions of winds in a scale called the Beaufort Scale, which divides
wind speeds into 12 different categories, from less than 1 mph to more than 73
mph. The lowest wind speed on the scale,
less than 1, is considered calm, and the highest, hurricane.
Evangelista Torricelli-
physicist mathematician (and assistant to the astronomer Galileo) who lived in
France during the 1700’s filled a long glass tube with mercury. He then turned
it upside down into a dish, creating a vacuum keeping the mercury within the
tube. Torricelli was amazed to observe
that the mercury was not at the same height in the tube every day.
Unbeknownst to him prior
to this experiment, the varying levels were caused by changes in the
atmospheric pressure. Torricelli had created a very important weather
instrument, the barometer, which is still used today to measure air pressure. The higher the mercury is within the
barometer, the higher the air pressure.
Scientists today also use a more modern technique today to measure
pressure in units called hectopascals.
My allergies and asthma
do not feel any better, and I am still a bit anxious, but I did find it
interesting to learn what is causing my problems. I hope you did as well.
