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FCSDGeo-Atmosphere
Properties of the Atmosphere vocabulary (7)
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| air pressure | effect of the weight of the atmosphere pressing on a given surface area |
| anemometer | a device that measures wind speed |
| atmospheric pressure | a measure of the force exerted by the atmosphere |
| barometer | instrument used to measure air pressure |
| cloud | large mass of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air |
| condensation | process by which a gas changes into a liquid; a way in which clouds form |
| condensation nuclei | particles suspended in air on which condensations occurs, forming a cloud |
| Coriolis effect | apparent curvature of the winds, ocean currents, or objects moving long distances along Earth's surface; caused by Earth's rotation on its axis |
| dew point | temperature at which the air would be saturated with moisture |
| humidity | measure of the moisture, or water vapor content, of the air |
| jet stream | currents, or very fast winds, that flow in the upper atmosphere |
| land breeze | breeze that blows at night from the land to the sea |
| meteorologist | scientist who studies the weather |
| millibar | metric unit of atmospheric pressure |
| precipitation | water, in the form of rain, snow, or sleet, falling from the sky |
| pressure gradient | rate of change in air pressure between two points on a map |
| prevailing winds | winds that blow more often in one direction that from any other |
| relative humidity | ratio between the actual amount of water vapor in the air and the maximum amount of water vapor the air can contain at a given temperature |
| saturated | weather condition in which air holds as much water vapor as it can at a given temperature |
| sea breeze | cool breeze that blows off the water during the day |
| sling psychrometer | a device that measures temperature with a wet-bulb and a dry-bulb; used to calculate dew point & relative humidity |
| specific heat | amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1 Celsius degree |
| temperature | measure of the average vibrational kinetic energy in a substance |
| water vapor | water in the form of a gas |
| weather | short-term condition of the atmosphere, including the changes that occur within hours or days |
| wind | natural movement of air along, or parallel to, Earth's surface; convection within the atmosphere |