click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Vocabulary 3
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Atmosphere | The envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet. |
| Troposphere | The lowest region of the atmosphere. |
| Ionosphere | The layer of the earth's atmosphere that contains a high concentration of ions and free electrons and is able to reflect radio waves. |
| Ozone Layer | A layer in the earth's stratosphere at an altitude of about 6.2 miles (10 km) containing a high concentration of ozone, which absorbs most of the ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth from the sun. |
| Chlorofluorocarbon | Any of a class of compounds of carbon, hydrogen, chlorine, and fluorine, typically gases used in refrigerants and aerosol propellants. |
| Radiation | The emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or as moving subatomic particles. |
| Conduction | The process by which heat or electricity is directly transmitted through a substance. |
| Convection | The movement caused within a fluid. |
| Hydrosphere | All the waters on the earth's surface, such as lakes and seas, and sometimes including water over the earth's surface, such as clouds. |
| Condensation | The conversion of a vapor or gas to a liquid. |
| Coriolis Effect | An effect whereby a mass moving in a rotating system experiences a force (the Coriolis force ) acting perpendicular to the direction of motion and to the axis of rotation. |
| Jet Stream | A narrow, variable band of very strong, predominantly westerly air currents encircling the globe several miles above the earth. |
| Sea Breeze | A breeze blowing toward the land from the sea, especially during the day owing to the relative warmth of the land. |
| Land Breeze | A breeze blowing toward the sea from the land, especially at night, owing to the relative warmth of the sea. |
| Humidity | A quantity representing the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere or a gas. |
| Dew Point | The atmospheric temperature (varying according to pressure and humidity) below which water droplets begin to condense and dew can form. |
| Precipitation | The action or process of precipitating a substance from a solution. |
| Weather Front | Is a boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, and is the principal cause of meteorological phenomena. |
| Weather Station Model | Is a symbolic illustration showing the weather occurring at a given reporting station. |
| Climate | The weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period. |
| El Nino | An irregularly occurring and complex series of climatic changes affecting the equatorial Pacific region and beyond every few years. |
| Global Warming | A gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect. |