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View synonyms for wind shear

wind shear

[ wind ]

noun

  1. the rate at which wind velocity changes from point to point in a given direction.
  2. a condition, dangerous to aircraft, in which the speed or direction of the wind changes abruptly.


wind shear

/ wɪnd /

noun

  1. stress on an aircraft in an area in which winds of different speeds and directions are close together
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


wind shear

  1. A change in wind direction and speed between slightly different altitudes, especially a sudden downdraft. Depending on its scale, wind shear can cause a variety of effects, from minor turbulence to tornadoes. Wind shear caused by interactions between oceanic and atmospheric winds can be so strong that it can dissipate hurricanes.
  2. See also shear force


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Word History and Origins

Origin of wind shear1

First recorded in 1940–45
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Example Sentences

This band formed along the axis of most unstable air, and it also had access to very strong, deep winds that increased in altitude and changed direction with height, generating what’s known as wind shear.

It’s possible the storms will not be as intense and likely to spin as they near the metro area due to less wind shear, or turning of the winds with altitude.

Stronger tornadoes tend to favor these shoulder months given increased wind shear, a critical ingredient for tornadoes, compared to the summer.

The combination of an unstable atmosphere and modest amounts of wind shear suggests that clusters of thunderstorms will self-organize into strong, long-lasting aggregates later Thursday afternoon and evening.

It’s the strong wind shear, in the setting of moderately unstable air and with a front that will trigger showers and thunderstorms, that raises the concern for severe weather.

Climate change increases the available energy, but reduces the wind shear, making the net result hard to predict.

On the other hand, wind shear is expected to decrease as the poles get warmer.

Second, you need those layers to be traveling at different speeds or in different directions, a phenomenon called wind shear.

Wind shear may decrease in a warmer world and that could mean fewer tornadoes.

So which influence wins out—increasing water vapor or decreasing wind shear?

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wind-shakenwind shelf