Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Unit 3: Weather
Weather and the Earth's atmosphere
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Electromagnetic Wave | Can transfer electric and magnetic energy through the vacuum of space |
| Greenhouse Effect | the trapping of heat near a planet's surface by certain gases in the planet's atmosphere |
| Thermal Energy | the total kinetic and potential energy of all the particles of an object |
| Convection | the transfer of thermal energy by the movement of a fluid |
| Conduction | the transfer of thermal energy from one particle of matter to another |
| Radiation | the transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves |
| Absorb | to take in or soak up |
| Wind | the horizontal movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of lower pressure |
| Sea Breeze | the flow of cooler air from over an ocean or lake toward land |
| Land Breeze | the flow of air from land to a body of water` |
| Coriolis Effect | the effect of the Earth's rotation on the direction of winds and currents |
| Jet Stream | band of high speed winds about 10 kilometers above Earth's surface |
| Area | extent of a surface or piece of land |
| Model | representation of a complex process |
| Current | A large stream of moving water that flows through the oceans |
| El Nino | an abnormal climate event that occurs every 2 to 7 years in the Pacific Ocean, causing changes in the winds, currents, and weather patterns for 1 to 2 years and an unusual warming of the ocean's surface |
| El Nina | the periodic cooling of ocean surface temperatures |
| Gradually | slowly |
| Atmosphere | the relatively thin layer of gases that form Earth's outermost layer |
| Air Pressure | the pressure caused by the weight of a column of air pushing down on an area |
| Altitude | elevation above sea level |
| Stable | not likely to give way |
| Water Cycle | the continual movement of water among Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and land surface through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation |
| Evaporation | the process by which molecules at the surface of a liquid absorb enough energy to change to a gas |
| Condensation | the change in state from a gas to a liquid |
| Dew Point | the temperature at which condensation begins |
| Humidity | the amount of water vapor in a given volume of air |
| Relative Humidity | the percentage of water vapor in the air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor that air can contain at a particular time |
| Precipitation | any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth's surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail |
| Cycle | a series of events that are regularly repeated in the same order |
| Air Mass | a huge body of air that has similar temperature, humidity, and air pressure at any given height |
| Front | the boundary where unlike air masses meet but do not mix |
| Cyclone | a swirling center of low air pressure |
| Anticyclone | a high-pressure center of dry air |
| Prevailing | existing at a particular time |
| Stationary | not moving |
| Meteorologist | a scientist who studies the causes of weather and tries to predict it |
| Synthesize | to make something |
| Storm | a violent disturbance in the atmosphere |
| Thunderstorm | a small storm often accompanied by heavy precipitation and frequent thunder and lightning |
| Hurricane | a tropical storm that has winds of about 119 kilometers per hour or higher |
| Tornado | a rapid whirling, funnel-shaped cloud that reaches down to touch the Earth's surface |
| Storm Surge | a "dome" of water that sweeps across the coast where a hurricane lands |
| Flood | an overflowing of water in a normally dry area |
| Drought | a long period of low precipitation |
| Approximate | close, but not completely exact |
Created by:
Ms. Wright
Popular Science sets