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BJU Space/Earth 19
BJU - Space and Earth Science - Chapter 19 (4th edition)
Term | Definition |
---|---|
A mass of fine water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air. | cloud |
Smaller pieces joining together to form a single larger mass. Raindrops grow in size through this. | coalescence |
A microscopic particle of material such as salt or smoke around which a water droplet can begin to form. | condensation nucleus |
The temperature at which air, by cooling, becomes saturated with water vapor and the vapor begins to condense around condensation nuclei. | dew point |
A stratus cloud in contact with the ground. | fog |
A microscopic particle of clay, dust, or smoke around which an ice crystal may form in a cloud. | freezing nucleus |
A high-pressure center from which winds spiral outward in a clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere or counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere | anticyclone |
The weight of atmospheric gases on the earth’s surface; measured in units of force per unit of area | atmospheric pressure |
A low-pressure center toward which surrounded winds spiral counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere | cyclone |
A measure of the amount of gaseous water vapor in the air | humidity |
The scientific study of the atmosphere | meteorology |
A dense, cold global wind spiraling out from the high-pressure zones over the poles from the east, angling toward the mid-latitudes | polar easterly (wind) |
In meteorology, precipitation is any form of water that falls to the earth’s surface from the sky. | precipitation |
The rate of change of atmospheric pressure with horizontal distance | pressure gradient |
A global wind of the mid-latitudes that blows consistently from southwest to northeast | prevailing westerly (wind) |
A ratio of the amount of water the air is actually holding to the amount it could hold at the same temperature, expressed as a percentage. | relative humidity |
A reliable global wind blowing from the subtropical highs toward the Equator, deflected toward the west by the Coriolis effect. | trade wind |
The condition of the atmosphere at a given time and place. | weather |
Moving air | wind |
The lowering of felt air temperature as wind blows over unprotected skin. | windchill factor |