Winddominated

Winddominated is an informal adjective used to describe a system, environment, or process in which wind is the primary controlling factor shaping dynamics, transport, and energy exchange. It is not a standardized term in meteorology, but it is employed to contrast wind-driven behavior with buoyancy- or gravity-driven regimes.

In meteorology and related fields, winddominated conditions include persistent alongshore winds that drive coastal upwelling, strong jet-stream–influenced synoptic patterns, and mountain-valley or katabatic wind systems. In urban and architectural contexts, winddominated microclimates refer to conditions where ventilation, pollutant dispersion, and thermal comfort are governed mainly by wind flow. In ecology, winddominated processes include wind-dispersed seed transport (anemochory).

Assessment of winddominated behavior relies on wind speed and direction, shear, and turbulent fluxes to gauge dominance. While the term is qualitative, quantitative surrogates exist: when wind-driven transport or advection outweighs thermal convection or buoyant forcing, the regime is described as winddominated. The Richardson number is sometimes cited as an indicator, with lower values suggesting wind- or shear-driven control over buoyancy.

Limitations: because winddominated is informal, definitions vary across disciplines and regions. The term should be used with clear context to avoid ambiguity. Related concepts include wind-driven processes, advection, coastal upwelling, katabatic winds, sea breeze, and urban wind microclimates.