Canonfire! Forums-viewtopic-Is it weird that prevailing winds blow from the east?

Sun Jan 15, 2023 11:55 am Is it weird that prevailing winds blow from the east?

Let's assume for the purposes of this discussion that Oerth rotates and the sun rises in the east and sets in the west just as on earth.

According to the Guide and subsequent sources, prevailing winds in the Flanaess blow from the east (northeast in winter & autumn, east & southeast spring & summer).

Could someone with a better grasp on climatology than me state whether this situation is odd or not? Would we expect, all things being equal, that prevailing winds blow from the west instead as they do across North America?

Sun Jan 15, 2023 1:01 pm

The above image shows how the prevailing winds on earth generally move. As you can see, for the first 30 degrees north and south of our equator, the prevailing winds move from east to west. From 30 degrees to 60 degrees (north and south of the equator) they move from west to east. This is where the US sits, so if you recall seeing the weather on the news you remember that weather patterns generally move from California eastward across the continent to the Atlantic states. From 90 degrees north and south latitudes to the north and south poles (0 degrees) the prevailing winds reverse again and travel from the east to the west.

You'd think that if the prevailing wind directly north and south of the equator was moving in the same direction it would be windy-est right on the equator. You'll have to do some research to find out why, but it frequently results in the doldrums, which is a complete lack of wind for days, or even weeks, at a time.

Since the weather patterns on earth are a mirror image of themselves north and south of the equator, it seems reasonable that such patterns could have evolved in an opposite direction on any other planet or large moon in the real world. Thus, it is quite reasonable to believe that the weather pattern across most of the Flanaess is opposite to that of earth (being roughly between 30 degrees and 60 degrees north lattitude).

By the way, that was one of Christopher Columbus' secrets: he knew that the prevailing winds (Westerlies) generally blew eastward across Europe, coming from the Atlantic Ocean. Being an experienced ship captain, he also knew that the prevailing winds south of the Mediterranean Sea blew westward (Trade Winds). He knew that if he let the Trade Winds blow his sailing ships westward, he could always jibe north a bit to hit the Westerlies, which would bring him back home. That's why he ended up in the Caribbean Islands instead of what is now Florida or the eastern US sea coast.

SirXaris
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Sun Jan 15, 2023 1:14 pm

Addendum:

This all makes sense when you look at the Darlene map of the Flanaess. You'll see that, far to the south, closer to the equator where the prevailing winds should be traveling in the opposite direction from those traveling across the greater portion of the Flanaess, that the plumes from the Hellfurnaces indicate that the prevailing winds travel eastward. That would be opposite to that of our real world.

The only problem I have with that is that I have read in print that the ash from the Hellfurnaces adds layers to the eastern portion of the Sea of Dust. That works. If the ash plumes from constantly active volcanoes traveled eastward (as depicted on the map), it would cause a large portion of the western side of the Amedio Jungle adjacent to the mountains to be a barren wasteland.

You'll have to come up with your own explanation for that. Happy

SirXaris
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Sun Jan 15, 2023 5:14 pm

Sun Jan 15, 2023 5:35 pm

Mon Jan 16, 2023 8:38 am

There you go. Spoiling everyone's fun with . . . science. (We need a face in palm emoji)

In a world of magic, you bring in science. Razz

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Mon Jan 16, 2023 11:46 am

Tue Jan 17, 2023 7:55 pm

Thu Jan 19, 2023 8:28 am

The Unchained Goddess by Bell Labs may provide some additional insight -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqClSPWVnNE&ab_channel=JackFuller

Yes, it may seem dated by today's standards, but it should be helpful (and nostalgic for some).

Cheers

Mon Jan 23, 2023 10:20 am

This is something I hashed up a while back. I'd like to add that I have no expertise in wind patterns or ocean currents so this was a best guess based on what little I read!

Mon Jan 23, 2023 12:46 pm

Wolfling, could you post the unmarked map here as well, please? It's so lovely.

Thanks.

Tue Jan 24, 2023 12:32 am

Sure thing, I'd been asked by a couple of people to do this a while back but kept forgetting!

Hmmm, this is a different map. I'm just on my way to work so will check through my files when I'm home tonight!

Tue Jan 24, 2023 2:10 pm

In Agnosco Adventum, I mentioned that the ocean currents from the Azure Sea round the northern tip of the Amedian Penninsula and move in a clock-wise direction around Jeklea bay to exit back into the Azure Sea near the isles of the Sea Princes (Flotsom, Jetsom, and Fairwind). That was based on the movement of the currents in the Gulf of Mexico in our real world and are in keeping with the flow indicated on Wolfling's map. A reversal of the prevailing winds may, or may not, make that inaccurate.

SirXaris
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