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Weather Maps
Review of Weather Maps and Air Pressure Vocabulary
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Atmospheric Pressure | It is the force exerted on a surface by the air above it as gravity pulls it to Earth. |
Air Masses | A large volume of air in the atmosphere that is mostly uniform in temperature and moisture. |
High Pressure | A region where the atmospheric pressure at the surface of the planet is greater than its surrounding environment. |
Low Pressure | A region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of a surrounding area. |
Isobars | A line on a map connecting points having the same atmospheric pressure at a given time or on average over a given period. |
Barometer | An instrument measuring atmospheric pressure, used especially in forecasting the weather and determining altitude. |
Weather Balloon | A balloon (specifically a type of high-altitude balloon) that carries instruments aloft to send back information on atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity and wind speed by means of a small, expendable measuring device called a radiosonde. |
Compass Rose | A figure on a compass, map, nautical chart, or monument used to display the orientation of the cardinal directions (north, east, south, and west) and their intermediate points. |
Anemometer | An instrument for measuring the speed of the wind, or of any current of gas. |
Thermometer | An instrument for measuring and indicating temperature, |
Wind Vane | A device that measures the direction of the wind. |
Front | The boundary between two air masses that have different temperatures or humidity. |
Cold Front | The transition zone where a cold air mass is replacing a warmer air mass. |
Warm Front | The boundary between a mass of warm air and a retreating mass of cold air. |
Stationary Front | A front that forms when a cold front or warm front stops moving. This happens when two masses of air are pushing against each other, but neither is powerful enough to move the other. |
Occluded Front | A cold front overtakes a warm front. It can cause strong winds and precipitation. |