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Unit 8 L1-2-3-4
Earth's Oceans and Atomosphere
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| wind | the movement of air cause by differences in air pressure |
| coriolis effect | the apparent curving of the path of a moving object from an otherwise straight path due to Earth's rotation |
| global wind | wind systems that occur at or near Earth's surface |
| jet stream | narrow belts of high-speed winds that blow from west to east, between 7km and 16km above Earth's surface |
| local wind | movements of air over short distances caused by temperature and pressure differences due to local geographic features |
| ocean current | streamlike movements of water in the ocean |
| surface current | ocean currents that occur at or near the surface of the ocean caused by wind |
| deep current | movements of ocean water far below the surface caused by differences in water density |
| convection current | movement of water that results from density differences |
| upwelling | when warm surface water is replaced by cold, nutrient-rich water from the deep ocean along the shoreline |
| radiation | transfer of energy in the form of electromagnetic waves |
| conduction | transfer of energy by direct contact |
| thermohaline circulation | deep-ocean currents that are driven by differences in the water's density, which is controlled by temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline) |
| weather | a short-term state of the atmosphere at a given time or place |
| El Nino | a periodic change characterized by above-average ocean temperatures across the Pacific Ocean |
| La Nina | a periodic change during which below-average ocean temperatures occur in the Pacific Ocean |
| front | an area where air masses meet |
| air mass | a large body of air that has similar temperature, moisture (humidity), and air pressure throughout |
| stationary front | a region where a warm air mass and a cold air mass meet but neither has enough force to move the other |
| occluded front | a region where two cold air masses trap a warm air mass and force it upward |
| cold front | a region where a cold air mass is replacing a warmer air mass |
| warm front | a region where a warm air mass is replacing a cold air mass |
| meteorologist | scientists who study the causes of weather and try to predict it |
Created by:
mbrumley
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