# trend (directional)

Drift of a parameter with a consistent direction, whether or not anything is aiming it.

- Computed level: L14 (depth in the emergence graph, not abstraction)
- Status: review  ·  Domain: emergence  ·  Arena: window

## Emergence
**Emerges from:** [drift](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-drift.aimless), [parameter](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-parameter.condition), [direction](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-direction.spatial)

**Through:** drift.aimless and parameter.condition interact under direction.spatial to produce a parameter's movement with consistent orientation.

**Novel properties:**
- oriented drift
- directional persistence
- uninterrupted parameter change

## Examples
- Earth's average surface temperature rose 1.2°C from 1880 to 2020, measured by NOAA. *(climate)*
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed from 6,547 to 25,000 between 2009 and 2019. *(economics)*
- The Mississippi River delta has sunk 1.5 meters since 1900 due to sediment starvation. *(geography)*

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*Canonical: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-trend.directional*  
*Structured data: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-trend.directional.json*  
*Every definition provably resolves to space, time, energy and pattern.*