Category Social Sciences

What are the four wind gods in Greek mythology collectively called?

The ANEMOI were the gods of the four winds–namely Boreas the North-Wind, Zephryos (Zephyrus) the West, Notos (Notus) the South, and Euros (Eurus) the East. Each of these was associated with a season–Boreas was the cold breath of winter, Zephyros the god of spring breezes, and Notos the god of summer rain-storms.

The Winds were portrayed as either man-shaped, winged gods who lived together in a cavern on Mount Haimos (Haemus) in Thrake (Thrace), or as horse-shaped divinities stabled by Aiolos (Aeolus) Hippotades, “the Reiner of Horses”, on the island of Aiolia and set out to graze on the shores of the earth-encircling River Okeanos (Oceanus).

Early poets, such as Homer and Hesiod, drew a clear distinction between the four, relatively benign, seasonal Winds (Anemoi) and the destructive Storm-Winds (Anemoi Thuellai). The latter, spawned by the monster Typhoeus, were either housed in the caverns of Aiolos or guarded by the Hekatonkheires in the pits of Tartaros. Later authors blurred the distinction between the two.

 

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Which gas is the most abundant in air?

By far, the most abundant gas in the Earth’s atmosphere is nitrogen, which accounts for about 78% of the mass of dry air. Oxygen is the next most abundant gas, present at levels of 20 to 21%. Although humid air seems like it contains a lot of water, the maximum amount of water vapor that air can hold is only about 4%. The amount of water vapor is highly variable. In hot, humid locations, it is the third most abundant gas. This makes it the most common greenhouse gas. In dry air, the third most abundant gas is argon, a monatomic noble gas. The abundance of carbon dioxide is variable. While it is an important greenhouse gas, it is only present an average of 0.04 percent, by mass.

It’s important to know which gas is most abundant, what the other gases are in the Earth’s atmosphere, and how the composition of air changes with altitude and over time for multiple reasons. The information helps us understand and predict the weather. The amount of water vapor in the air is particularly relevant to weather forecasting. The gas composition helps us understand the effects of natural and man-made chemicals released into the atmosphere. The make-up of the atmosphere is extremely important for climate, so changes in gases may help us predict broad climate change.

 

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What is the difference between air and wind?

Air may not seem like anything at all; in fact, we look right through it all the time, but during a windstorm, air really makes its presence known. Wind is able to lift roofs off buildings, blow down power lines and trees, and cause highway accidents as gusts push around cars and trucks.

Wind is moving air and is caused by differences in air pressure within our atmosphere. Air under high pressure moves toward areas of low pressure. The greater the difference in pressure, the faster the air flows.

Wind is described with direction and speed. The direction of the wind is expressed as the direction from which the wind is blowing. For example, easterly winds blow from east to west, while westerly winds blow from west to east. Winds have different levels of speed, such as “breeze” and “gale”, depending on how fast they blow. Wind speeds are based on the descriptions of winds in a scale called the Beaufort Scale, which divides wind speeds into 12 different categories, from less than 1 mph to more than 73 mph.

 

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What should be decided during transition period?

The U.K. has to negotiate its future relationship with Europe. Formal negotiations for this will begin on March 3, 2020.

The bulk of these negotiations will focus on the U.K. – EU’s future trading relationship. The U.K. is leaving the EU customs union an common market, so the two sides have two work out a trade agreement, ideally with no tariffs and with minimal barriers.

The two sides also have to discuss

  • Security and law enforcement cooperation
  • Access to fishing waters
  • Banking
  • Aviation standards and safety
  • Supplies of electricity and gas
  • Licensing and regulation of medicines
  • Data and intelligence sharing
  • Manufacturing and a whole lot more.
  • The border between Ireland (which is part of the EU) and Northern Ireland (which is a part of UK and leaving the EU) will remain open. But how to implement customs checks on this border will need to be worked out. 

 

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What has changed after Brexit day?

A transition period has begun immediately after Brexit day and is due to end on December 31, 2020. During this 11-month period, the U.K. will continue to follow EU rules. Britain’s trading relationship will remain the same and it will continue to pay into the EU budget. People travelling to EU member states will not be affected during the transition period. But the UK will no longer have any say in EU policies nor will it be able to attend any meeting of EU leaders.

The transition period is meant to give both sides some breathing space while a new free trade agreement is negotiated.

This is needed because the UK will leave the single market and customs union at the end of the transition. A free trade agreement will allow goods to move around the EU without checks or extra charges.

If a new one cannot be agreed in time, then the UK faces the prospect of having to trade with no deal in place. That would mean tariffs (taxes) on UK goods travelling to the EU and other trade barriers.

 

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How did Britain join European Union?

David Cameron was the Prime Minister of the U.K. when the referendum took place. Personally, he supported staying within the EU. As the votes turned against his campaign, he stepped down as PM.

As leader of the Conservative Party, Theresa May took over from David Cameron in 2016. May promised to put Brexit into action. However, Brexit hit a roadblock for various reasons. Unable to get a Brexit divorce deal passed on Parliament, May stepped down on June 7, 2019, after a turbulent 3-year period as prime minister.

On July 23, 2019, Brexit hardliner Boris Johnson, former Mayor of London and British Foreign Minister, was elected Prime Minister. Johnson was keen on delivering Brexit by the October 31, 2019 deadline. However, Johnson needed a Brexit extension of his own after MPs failed to get the revised deal passed into law. This led to the new deadline of January 31, 2020.

 

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