Which term describes increased wind in a constricted channel?

• A. Headwind effect
• B. Venturi effect
• C. Onshore wind risk
• D. Funnel effect

Answer: (B)

When air has to squeeze through a narrowing channel, it must speed up to keep the same amount of air moving through, and that speed-up lowers the pressure in the constricted area. This is the Venturi effect. In a narrow passage between rocks or cliffs, the wind can surge, giving you stronger gusts on the water even if the overall wind isn’t stronger. For a paddler, that means quicker changes in wind direction and more chop, so you’ll want to brace, adjust your course, and be ready to power through or seek a safer opening.

The other options describe wind in different ways, not the physics of acceleration through a constriction: headwind is simply wind coming toward you, not the speed-up through a narrow channel; onshore wind risk isn’t a standard term for this phenomenon; a funnel effect isn’t the precise physics term for what happens as flow is constricted.