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Chapter 19 vocab
Chapter 19 vocab for Earth and Space Science
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Air Pressure | The force exerted by the weight of a column of air above a given point |
Jet Stream | Swift, High altitude winds (120-240 Kilometers per hour) |
Trade Winds | Two belts of wind that blow almost constantly from easterly directions and are located on the North and South sides of the tropical highs. |
Monsoon | Seasonal reversal of wind direction associated with large continents. In winter, the wind blows from land to sea. In summer, the wind blows from sea to land. |
Barometer | An instrument that measures atmospheric pressure. |
Isobars | a line connecting points of equal atmospheric pressure. |
Westerlies | A dominant west-to-east motion of the atmosphere that characterizes the regions on the poleward side of the subtropical highs. |
Prevailing wind | A wind that constantly blows from one direction more than from another |
Pressure gradient | The amount of pressure change occurring over a given distance |
Cyclone | A low pressure center characterized by a counterclockwise flow of air in the Northern Hemisphere |
Polar Easterlies | Winds that blow from the Polar high toward the subpolar low. |
Anemometer | An instrument used to determine wind speed |
Coriolis Effect | The force of Earth's rotation on all free-moving objects, including the atmosphere and oceans. |
Anticyclone | A high pressure center characterized by a clockwise flow of air in the Northern Hemisphere |
Polar Front | The stormy frontal zone separating cold air masses of polar origin from warm air masses of tropical origin |
El nino | The name given to the periodic warming of the ocean that occurs in the central and eastern Pacific |