windfield

Windfield (also wind field) is a vector field used in meteorology and fluid dynamics to describe the distribution of wind speed and direction in a region at a given time. At each point in space and time, the wind field assigns a velocity vector u(x,t) whose magnitude is wind speed and whose direction indicates where the air is moving. In three dimensions, the field is often written as u = (u, v, w), with horizontal components u (east–west) and v (north–south) and a vertical component w. The horizontal wind field is commonly studied at fixed heights above ground.

Wind fields are generated by imbalances in atmospheric pressure and are shaped by the Coriolis force, gravity, and friction with the Earth's surface. In large-scale flow the geostrophic approximation pairs the pressure-gradient force with the Coriolis force; closer to the surface friction alters the balance, leading to gradient wind or other regimes. The Navier–Stokes equations govern the evolution of wind fields in time, producing features such as jets, fronts, turbulence, and convective outflow.

Measurements come from meteorological stations, radiosondes, wind profilers, Doppler radar and LiDAR, as well as satellite sensors. Numerical weather prediction, reanalysis projects, and climate models produce gridded wind fields for forecasting and research. Wind field data underpin applications in aviation, wind energy siting and operation, pollution dispersion, and urban planning.

See also: vector field; atmospheric dynamics; weather forecasting.