One of the least desired atmospheric phenomena is the wind, which has a double peculiarity: it is not seen, but it can be heard. And, if we get bombastic, we can say that the wind is capable of generating a mysterious melody that surrounds our natural environment, that caresses our ears and that transports us to remote, sometimes ghostly, places. Writers have used different adjectives to describe the sound of the wind, from hissing to thunderous, through raucous, hammering, harsh, roaring or thunderous. This linguistic wealth already gives us clues that the wind generates very diverse sounds. The wind per se lacks sound, but when an object is in its path, be it an awning, cracks in the windows or plastic, a friction is produced, a disturbance, which will result in a change in pressure and, ultimately, dessert, in a vibration of the air. It is precisely this vibration that is ultimately responsible for the sound. Related News standard No Why do we find it difficult to recognize our voice when it is recorded? Pedro Gargantilla Hearing basically consists of the sound waves that travel through the air being converted into electrical signals. Not all sounds generated by the wind are the same, they have different frequencies, which are closely related to the type of disturbance. In this sense, experience has shown us that the wind that crosses mountains or buildings generates a turbulent and irregular noise, diametrically opposite to that formed when it crosses an open field without obstacles, which is softer and more uniform. What's more, if there are trees in your path, it is possible that they are capable of absorbing some of the vibrations of the air, causing it to travel much further and sound as if it were a lament. The objects cause the airstream to separate momentarily and then rejoin. If the wind is fast enough, the phenomenon will produce a strange noise that has been used by film directors to infuse some scenes with an atmosphere of terror. In other words, it is the natural randomness, the speed of the air and the surface that gets in its way that makes the wind from one side stronger – louder – than when the two currents are united. Another fact to keep in mind is that the way we perceive the wind also depends on the direction, if it blows in our direction, the speed of the sound waves increases and we perceive a louder sound, and conversely, if it blows in the direction On the contrary, the sound waves decrease and it is heard much softer. Its effects on mental health It has long been observed that the mood of some people and even mental health depends on meteorological changes. In our country, it has been proven, for example, that the north wind, the south wind and the sirocco are related to a greater presence of migraines, depressive symptoms, anxiety and irritability. So much so, that some time ago two terms were coined to refer to the combination of health and atmospheric phenomena: meteorosensitive and biometeorology. The first relates to those people who experience physical and/or mental discomfort with changes in weather, while biometeorology is the discipline in charge of studying physiological and pathological processes. MORE INFORMATION news No Why does coffee keep us awake? news No Why do most fruits tend to be spherical? Along these lines, Israeli researchers analyzed meteorological changes and the incidence of mental disorders in semi-arid areas. After an exhaustive analysis, they observed that in a sample of more than four thousand people who had been admitted to the Mental Health Center of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel), there was a certain relationship between this type of behavior and the direction and speed of the wind.
