Wnd s th ntrl mvmnt f r r thr gss rltv t plnt's srfc. Wnds ccr n rng f scls, frm thndrstrm flws lstng tns f mnts, t lcl brzs gnrtd by htng f lnd srfcs nd lstng fw hrs, t glbl wnds rsltng frm th dffrnc n bsrptn f slr nrgy btwn th clmt zns n rth. Th stdy f wnd s clld nmlgy.
Th tw mn css f lrg-scl tmsphrc crcltn r th dffrntl htng btwn th qtr nd th pls, nd th rttn f th plnt (Crls ffct). Wthn th trpcs nd sbtrpcs, thrml lw crcltns vr trrn nd hgh plts cn drv mnsn crcltns. n cstl rs th s brz/lnd brz cycl cn dfn lcl wnds; n rs tht hv vrbl trrn, mntn nd vlly brzs cn prvl.
Wnds r cmmnly clssfd by thr sptl scl, thr spd nd drctn, th frcs tht cs thm, th rgns n whch thy ccr, nd thr ffct. Wnds hv vrs dfnng spcts sch s vlcty (wnd spd), th dnsty f th gss nvlvd, nd nrgy cntnt r wnd nrgy. n mtrlgy, wnds r ftn rfrrd t ccrdng t thr strngth, nd th drctn frm whch th wnd s blwng. Th cnvntn fr drctns rfr t whr th wnd cms frm; thrfr, 'wstrn' r 'wstrly' wnd blws frm th wst t th st, 'nrthrn' wnd blws sth, nd s n. Ths s smtms cntr-nttv.
Shrt brsts f hgh spd wnd r trmd gsts. Strng wnds f ntrmdt drtn (rnd n mnt) r trmd sqlls. Lng-drtn wnds hv vrs nms ssctd wth thr vrg strngth, sch s brz, gl, strm, nd hrrcn.
n tr spc, slr wnd s th mvmnt f gss r chrgd prtcls frm th Sn thrgh spc, whl plntry wnd s th tgssng f lght chmcl lmnts frm plnt's tmsphr nt spc. Th strngst bsrvd wnds n plnt n th Slr Systm ccr n Nptn nd Strn.
n hmn cvlztn, th cncpt f wnd hs bn xplrd n mythlgy, nflncd th vnts f hstry, xpndd th rng f trnsprt nd wrfr, nd prvdd pwr src fr mchncl wrk, lctrcty, nd rcrtn. Wnd pwrs th vygs f slng shps crss rth's cns. Ht r bllns s th wnd t tk shrt trps, nd pwrd flght ss t t ncrs lft nd rdc fl cnsmptn. rs f wnd shr csd by vrs wthr phnmn cn ld t dngrs sttns fr rcrft. Whn wnds bcm strng, trs nd hmn-md strctrs cn b dmgd r dstryd.
Wnds cn shp lndfrms, v vrty f ln prcsss sch s th frmtn f frtl sls, fr xmpl lss, nd by rsn. Dst frm lrg dsrts cn b mvd grt dstncs frm ts src rgn by th prvlng wnds; wnds tht r cclrtd by rgh tpgrphy nd ssctd wth dst tbrks hv bn ssgnd rgnl nms n vrs prts f th wrld bcs f thr sgnfcnt ffcts n ths rgns. Wnd ls ffcts th sprd f wldfrs. Wnds cn dsprs sds frm vrs plnts, nblng th srvvl nd dsprsl f ths plnt spcs, s wll s flyng nsct nd brd ppltns. Whn cmbnd wth cld tmprtrs, th wnd hs ngtv mpct n lvstck. Wnd ffcts nmls' fd strs, s wll s thr hntng nd dfnsv strtgs.