Term | Definition |
Convection | occurs when air is heated by sunlight |
Clouds | form when dense, cold air pushes warm air upward |
The Gulf Stream | is a warm ocean current that starts in the tropics |
Hail | is produced when water droplets freeze |
Desert air | there is less humidity in desert air |
Temperature of liquids | waters change temperature slower than solid land |
Weather forecasts today | weather forecasts are more accurate today do to better technology |
Fronts on a weather map | fronts on weather maps show boundaries between air masses |
Temperature of solids | absorb radiation faster than water |
Global winds | are produced by high pressure and low pressure |
Snow | occurs when temperatures are 32 degrees of below and clouds percipitate |
Interior of continents | have more extreme differences between winter and summer |
Solar radiation | produce heat on earth |
How solar radiation affects things | can affect both weather and climate |
The Corriolis effect | Global winds curve because the earth rotates on its axis |
Are tides a factor in weather and climate | they are not a factor. they have to do with gravitational pull |
How things affect the atmosphere | meteorite collisions, deforestation, and changing ocean currents all affect this |
Sea and land Breezes | form because the land heats and cools more quickly than the water. sea breeze occurs in the day. land breeze occurs in the night |
Convection currents on the surface | when air is warm the air expands and rises resulting in convection |
Psychrometer | measures humdity |
Anemometer | measures wind speed |
The ocean floor | continental shelf, continental slope, and abyssal plain |
Humidity | is water vapor in the air |
Groundwater usage | if ground water is used to quickly wells will dry up |
No clouds in the desert | because there is not enough moisture in the air for condensation |
Aquifer | is a large area underground that can supply water to thousands of people |
Volcanoes role in the water cycle | because they release water vapor into the atmosphere |
Ocean currents | wind and temperature variations can cause ocean currents |
Earth's waters | most of earths waters are located in oceans |
Mineral movement | minerals can move by streams rivers because water can dissolve minerals out of rock |
Sea floor spreading | sea floor spreading creates new ocean because magma comes the the surface and hardens |
Hurricanes | tropical disturbance to tropical depression then tropical storm |
The Fujita scale | measures tornado strength 1-5 |
The water cycle | evaporation, condensation, precipitation, convection |
City location and seasons | if a city is located near the ocean the winters will be warmer and the summers will be cooler |
Layers of the atmosphere | the troposphere, and stratosphere |
the hydrosphere | is all of the water on the earths surface |
The green house effect | when carbon dioxide and water vapor trap the sun's heat. |
Geologist | someone who studies the earth |
Meteorologist | someone who studies weather |
Salinity | is the measure of how much salt is dissolved in ocean water |
Longshore current | is the movement of the ocean that is parallel to the beach. |
Earths atmosphere | eaths atmosphere is 78% nitrogen 21% is oxygen 1% is others |
El Niño | is the warming of the pacific ocean off the coast of south america |
La Niña | is the cooling of pacific ocean water off the coast of south america. |
rain gauge | measures how much rain has fallen |
dew point | is the temperature the air has to be in order for condensation |
fresh water vs oceans | 97% of earths waters are oceans. 3% is fresh water. only 0.03% of fresh water is drinkable |
subduction | occurs when one plate over under another |
saffir-simpson scale | measures hurricane strength 1 to 5 |
types of clouds | cirrus(high), cumulus(middle), stratus(low). |
cumulonimbus, and nimbostratus | Cumulonimbus produce thunder storms. Nimbostratus produce rain clouds |