Gyre
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Hi, I'm Dave Thurlow for The Weather Notebook. It's time for a brand new Weather Notebook Brainstorm. I'm going to ask a question about something having to do with the weather. If you think you know the answer, you are strongly encouraged to tell us here at The Mount Washington Weather Observatory. Whether you're right or wrong, we'll send you a sensational Weather Notebook cloud poster just for trying. If we use your answer on the show, you will receive a Weather Notebook magic mug.

The question for today's Brainstorm deals with something called gyres. A gyre is a large whirlpool of water. There're two in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. There's one each in the northern and southern hemispheres. The Indian Ocean also has its own gyre. Gyres are made up of separate currents that together circle the great ocean basins. Along the east coasts of continents, poleward currents draw warm water from tropical and equatorial regions.The most famous example of this type of current is the Gulf Stream. It is part of the North Atlantic gyre.

The Weather Notebook Brainstorm question is: What do ocean wide whirlpools, called gyres, have to do with wind? Again, what do gyres have to do with wind?

If you have an answer, please send it to us at our email brainstorms@weathernotebook.org. Or, go right to our website, read the question again, and send an answer from there. The best thing to do is call our toll free number at 1-888-RAIN-001. That's 1-888-RAIN-001. Once more, what do gyres have to do with wind?

Our series senior editor is Jay Allison The Weather Notebook is a production of the Mount Washington Observatory . Funding is provided by the National Science Foundation, and by Subaru: The beauty of all-wheel drive.