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Earnest C. Watson Lecture: "Where the Wind Comes From, on Earth and Other Planets"
November 1, 2009
 Tapio Schneider, professor of environmental science and engineering at Caltech, will present a Watson Lecture called "Where the Wind Comes From, on Earth and Other Planets" at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11, in Beckman Auditorium.
Winds on Earth have prevalent directions, a fact that has been exploited by sailors and explorers in centuries past and still influences the routes airplanes take today. Surface winds blow predominantly from the east in the tropics and from the west in midlatitudes; at higher altitudes, there is usually one eastward jet stream with 90 mph winds in each hemisphere. On Jupiter and Saturn, on the other hand, there are up to seven eastward jet streams at different latitudes in each hemisphere, with winds up to five times stronger than on Earth, and there are giant storms such as the Great Red Spot embedded in the jets.
In this talk, Schneider will explain how wind patterns on different planets arise, how wind patterns may have been in Earth's past, and how they may change in the future. This event is free, and no tickets or reservations are required.
For more information, go to the Public Events website.
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