Wind is the flow of air or other gases that compose an atmosphere. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space. While wind is often a standalone weather phenomenon, it can also occur as part of a storm system, most notably in a cyclone. Shorter duration winds, such as wind gusts, exceed the minimum value over the observed time frame and can cause substantial damage to power lines and suspension bridges. Winds with an intermediate duration, which sharply increase and last for a minute are termed squalls. Long-duration wind speeds have various names associated with their average strength, such as breeze, gale, storm, hurricane, and typhoon. Wind occurs on a range of scales, from local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting tens of minutes, to global winds resulting from the difference in absorption of solar energy between the climate zones on Earth. The two major driving factors of large scale atmospheric circulation are the differential heating between the equator and the poles, which causes the jet stream and the associated climatological mid-latitude westerlies, polar easterlies, and the trade winds, and the rotation of the planet. In human civilization, wind has inspired mythology, influenced the events of history, expanded the range of transport and warfare, and provided a power source for mechanical work, electricity, and recreation.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1302:

Pope Boniface VIII issued the Papal bull Unam sanctam, proclaiming "there is one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, outside of which there is neither salvation nor remission of sins". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unam_sanctam

1905:

Prince Carl of Denmark became Haakon VII, the first King of Norway after the personal union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haakon_VII_of_Norway

1978:

Jim Jones led more than 900 members of the Peoples Temple to mass murder/suicide in Jonestown, Guyana, hours after some of its members assassinated U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonestown

1991:

Croatian War of Independence: Yugoslav People's Army forces captured the Croatian city of Vukovar, ending an 87-day siege. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vukovar

1999:

Texas A&M University's Aggie Bonfire collapsed, killing 12 people and injuring 27 others, and causing the university to officially declare a hiatus on the 90-year-old annual event. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aggie_Bonfire

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

buttress (v): 1. To support something physically with, or as if with, a prop or buttress. 2. To support something or someone by supplying evidence; to corroborate or substantiate http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/buttress

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

War is what happens when language fails. --Margaret Atwood http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Margaret_Atwood