Term | Definition |
Weather | describes the conditions in the atmosphere at a given place for a short period of time. |
Causes weather | weather is caused by uneven heating of the Earth by the Sun’s rays |
Troposphere | the lowest layer of the Earth’s atmosphere were most of the weather occurs. |
air temperature | the amount of heat energy in the atmosphere at a place. |
air pressure | is the amount of force exerted by air hitting a given surface area |
Humidity | the amount of water vapor in the air |
wind Speed | the rate of moving air |
wind direction | the direction that the wind blows from |
precipitation | failing moisture from clouds (rain, snow, sleet and hail) |
station model | scientist communicate weather in different locations using this |
barometer | instrument used to measure air pressure units milibars |
anemometer | instrument used to measure wind speeds units knots or miles per hour |
wind | horizontal movement of air which is caused by differences in air pressure |
coriolis effect | wind appears to curve to the right in the northern hemisphere and is caused by Earth’s rotation. |
dew point | the temperature at which water vapor condenses out of the air because the air is saturated |
cloud formation | when the air is cooled to the dew point and water condenses into tiny water droplets or ice crystals. In order for water vapor to condense it must have dust or ice to provide a surface |
cumulonimbus | tall dark thunderstorms Clouds |
field map | a region of space that has a measurable quantity or value at every point the meteorologist then connect points with the same values |
isobar | lines of equal air pressure |
air mass | air with generally uniform characteristics |
front | the boundary ( on the ground) between two air masses |
maritime polar | cold moist formed over cold water |
maritime tropical | warm moist formed over warm water |
continental Arctic | dry frigid formed over land that is cold and very north |
continental polar | cold dry formed over land that is cold and north |
continental tropical | warm dry formed over land in the south west US |
cold front | the ground location were a cold air mass advances against a warmer air mass , the cold air mass is more dense so it forces the warm air up rapidly and condensation takes places and leads to heavy rain and or thunderstorms. |
warm front | where the warm air mass pushed up and over a cold air mass. Warm air goes over gradually because it is less dense. The warm air rises and expands and cools resulting in widespread precipitation |
cyclone | any inward and counterclockwise air circulation around a low pressure center |
hurricane | any huge cyclonic storm LOW PRESSURE System that forms in the summer over warm ocean water . Winds speed over 74 miles per hour causes coastal flooding and damaging winds |