Glossary

W

WAAS Wide Area Augmentation System

WCL Water Conservation Laboratory (USDA)

white dwarf Any of a class of faint stars, characterized not only by low luminosity but by masses and radii comparable to that of our Sun

wind shear Variation of wind speed and wind direction with respect to a horizontal or vertical plane; powerful but invisible downdrafts called microbursts focus intense amounts of vertical energy in a narrow funnel that can force an aircraft to the ground nose first if the aircraft is caught underneath

WSF Wake Shield Facility

WTO World Trade Organization