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Weather Factors
Terms associated with Weather
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| anemometer | An instrument used to measure wind speed. |
| cirrus | Wispy, feathery clouds made mostly of ice crystals that form at high levels, above about 6 kilometers. |
| condensation | The process by which molecules of water vapor in the air become liquid water. |
| conduction | The direct transfer of heat from one substance to another substance that is touching. |
| convection | The transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid. |
| convection currents | The upward movement of warm air and the downward movement of cool air. |
| Coriolis effect | The way Earth's rotation makes winds in the Northern hemisphere curve to the right and winds in the Southern hemisphere turn to the left. |
| cumulus | Clouds that form less than 2 kilometers above the ground and look like fluffy, rounded piles of cotton. |
| dew point | The temperature at which condensation begins. |
| drought | Long periods of low precipitation. |
| electromagnetic waves | A form of energy that can travel through space. |
| evaporation | The process by which water molecules in liquid water escape into the air as water vapor. |
| global wind | Winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distances. |
| greenhouse effect | The process by which heat is trapped in the atomosphere by water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases that form a 'blanket' around earth. |
| heat | The energy transferred from a hotter object ot a cooler one. |
| humidity | A measure of the amount of water vapor in the air. |
| infrared radiation | A form of energy with wave-lengths that are longer than visible light. |
| jet stream | Bands of high-speed winds about 10 kilometers above Earth's surface. |
| land breeze | The flow of air from land to a body of water. |
| latitude | The distance from the equator, measured in degrees. |
| local wind | Winds that blow over short distances. |
| monsoon | Sea and land breezes over a large region that change direction with the seasons. |
| precipitation | Any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth's surface. |
| psychrometer | An instrument used to measure relative humidity, consisting of a wet-bulb thermometer and a dry-bulb thermometer. |
| radiation | The direct transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves. |
| rain gauge | An instrument used to measure the amount of precipitation, consisting of an open-ended can topped by a collecting funnel and having a collecting tube and measuring scale inside. |
| relative humidity | The percentage of water vaopr in the air compared to the maximum amount the air could hold at that temperature. |
| scattering | Reflection of light in all directions. |
| sea breeze | The flow of air from an ocean or lake to the land. |
| stratus | Clouds that form in flat layers. |
| temperature | The average amount of energy of motion in the molecules of a substance. |
| thermal energy | The energy of motion in molecules of a substance. |
| thermometer | An instrument used to measure temperature, consisting of a thin, glass tube with a bulb on one end that contains a liquid (usually mercury or alcohol). |
| ultraviolet radiation | A form of energy with wavelengths that are shorter than visible light. |
| wind | The horizontal movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. |
| wind-chill factor | Increased cooling caused by the wind. |
Created by:
skbaird
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