Article
Article
Wind stress
Article By:
Sanders, Frederick Department of Meteorology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Charnock, Henry. Department of Oceanography, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.746600
The drag or tangential force per unit area exerted on the surface of the Earth by the adjacent layer of moving air. Erosion of ground surfaces and the production of waves on water surfaces are manifestations of wind stress. Surface wind stress determines the exchange of momentum between the Earth and the atmosphere and exerts a strong influence on the typical variation of wind through the lowest kilometer of the atmosphere. Estimated values of the surface wind stress range up to several dynes per square centimeter (0.1 pascal), depending on the nature of the surface and the character of the adjacent airflow. See also: Meteorology
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