<p>Quick answer is its too vague to give a firm estimate. The geostrophic wind - what the wind would be in theory with no complicating variables, is a function of height, temperature and latitude. There is a calculator for this on 
<a href="http://www.shodor.org/os411/courses/_master/tools/calculators/geostrophic/" rel="nofollow">http://www.shodor.org/os411/courses/_master/tools/calculators/geostrophic/</a> </p>

<p>The wind speed for New York could be anything from 1 to about 16 m/sec. If we assume it is 10 m/sec, then the time to circuit the planet would be about 35 days. But then there are massive complicating factors. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-02T16:32:02.857Z
2016-06-02T16:32:02.857Z
Gordon Stanger
<p>It takes about 2 weeks for a mass of air to circle the globe along its latitude from West to east. I used to work for a French climate research lab in the 70s, and was based on Crozet island (South Indian Ocean) . At the time I was carrying atmospheric radioactivity measurements, and the French army was carrying nuclear test above ground in the pacific, I could see the radioactive cloud passing above me about 10 days later and then again about every second week after that and about completely disappeared after 6 months.
In the case you raise, you will benefit from cleaner air about one week after the decommissioning</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-02T00:19:25.923Z
2017-12-02T00:19:25.923Z
Christian Siegel
<p>I live in New York and I am investing in a carbon offset program in Korea to decommission a coal electricity generation plant.</p>

<p>Will I ever breathe the cleaner air as a result of that project? And how long with that air to get here (and back around)?</p>

<atmosphere><air-currents>
How long does it take air to circle the world?
William Entriken
# How long does it take air to circle the world?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-06-01)

I live in New York and I am investing in a carbon offset program in Korea to decommission a coal electricity generation plant.

Will I ever breathe the cleaner air as a result of that project? And how long with that air to get here (and back around)?

**Tags:** atmosphere, air-currents


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-06-02. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

Quick answer is its too vague to give a firm estimate. The geostrophic wind - what the wind would be in theory with no complicating variables, is a function of height, temperature and latitude. There is a calculator for this on
<http://www.shodor.org/os411/courses/_master/tools/calculators/geostrophic/>

The wind speed for New York could be anything from 1 to about 16 m/sec. If we assume it is 10 m/sec, then the time to circuit the planet would be about 35 days. But then there are massive complicating factors.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2017-12-02. Score: 5

It takes about 2 weeks for a mass of air to circle the globe along its latitude from West to east. I used to work for a French climate research lab in the 70s, and was based on Crozet island (South Indian Ocean) . At the time I was carrying atmospheric radioactivity measurements, and the French army was carrying nuclear test above ground in the pacific, I could see the radioactive cloud passing above me about 10 days later and then again about every second week after that and about completely disappeared after 6 months.
In the case you raise, you will benefit from cleaner air about one week after the decommissioning


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