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Meteorology vocab
Vocab
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Atmosphere | the envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet. |
| Troposphere | the lowest region of the atmosphere, extending from the earth's surface to a height of about 3.7–6.2 miles (6–10 km), which is the lower boundary of the stratosphere. |
| 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. It lies above the mesosphere and extends from about 50 to 600 miles (80 to 1,000 km) above the earth's surface. |
| 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. They are harmful to the ozone layer in the earth's atmosphere. |
| Radiation | the emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or as moving subatomic particles, especially high-energy particles that cause ionization. |
| Conduction | the process by which heat or electricity is directly transmitted through a substance when there is a difference of temperature or of electrical potential between adjoining regions, without movement of the material. |
| Convection | the movement caused within a fluid by the tendency of hotter and therefore less dense material to rise, and colder, denser material to sink under the influence of gravity, which consequently results in transfer of heat. |
| 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 | water that collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it. |
| 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 | the state or quality of being humid |
| Dew Point | the atmospheric temperature (varying according to pressure and humidity) below which water droplets begin to condense and dew can form. |
| Precipitation | rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. |
| weather front | A weather front is a boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, and is the principal cause of meteorological phenomena. |
| weather station model | A station model is a symbolic illustration showing the weather occurring at a given reporting station. Meteorologists created the station model to fit a number of weather elements into a small space on weather maps. |
| 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 caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants. |
Created by:
PierceW25
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