Meteorological Instruments

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weather vane

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

weather vane or wind vane, instrument used to indicate wind direction. It consists of an asymmetrically shaped object, e.g., an arrow or a rooster, mounted at its center of gravity so it can move freely about a vertical axis. Regardless of the design, the portion of the object with greater surface area (usually the tail) offers greater resistance to the wind and thus positions the vane so that the forward part points in the direction from which the wind is blowing. The compass direction of the wind may then be determined by reference to an attached compass rose; alternatively, the orientation of the vane may be relayed to a remote calibrated dial. The wind vane must be mounted at a distance from the nearest obstacle equal to at least twice the height of the obstacle above the vane if the observed wind direction is to be representative of meteorologically significant wind patterns; for this reason, the vane is often mounted on a pole or tower that is in turn mounted on the roof of a tall building.

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vane

A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture | 2000 | | Copyright

vane. Banner-shaped plate of metal, or a weather-cock or -vane, placed on a pivot on a high part of a building, to point towards the direction from which the wind comes.

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JAMES STEVENS CURL. "vane." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JAMES STEVENS CURL. "vane." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-vane.html

JAMES STEVENS CURL. "vane." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-vane.html

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weather-vane

A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture | 2000 | | Copyright

weather-vane. Swivelling vane, often combined with crossed rods to show the compass points, and frequently in the form of a cock, hence weather-cock.

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JAMES STEVENS CURL. "weather-vane." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JAMES STEVENS CURL. "weather-vane." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-weathervane.html

JAMES STEVENS CURL. "weather-vane." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-weathervane.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	WIND INSTRUMENTS DISTINCTIVE WEATHER VANES OFTEN REVEAL AS MUCH ABOUT THE... Newspaper article from: The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA); 8/11/1996
	Blowin' in the wind ... Weather vanes find new life as outdoor artwork... Newspaper article from: The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA); 11/3/2007
	A retailer's guide to weather vanes. Magazine article from: Gifts & Decorative Accessories; 8/1/1997