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Weather Vocab Study
Vocab study guide
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Weather | The state of the earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place. |
| Climate | The characteristic weather conditions in an area over a long period of time. |
| Meteorologist | A scientist who studies the weather. |
| Atmosphere | The mixture of gases that surrounds the solid earth. |
| Troposphere | The layer of the atmosphere nearest the earth's surface. |
| Precipitation | Any type of liquid or solid water that falls to the earth's surface (hail, rain, snow, sleet, etc.) |
| Rain Shadow | An area on the downward side of a mountain that gets less precipitation than the side that faces the wind. |
| Microclimates | A climate of a smaller area within a subclimate. |
| Ozone | A gas molecule that consists of three oxygen atoms. |
| Radiation | Energy that travels across distances as a certain type of waves. |
| Conduction | The transfer of heat energy from one substance to another through direct contact. |
| Convection | The transfer of energy from place to place by the motion of heated gas or liquids. |
| Condensation | The process by which gas changes into a liquid. |
| Greenhouse effect | The process by which certain gases in a planets atmosphere absorb and emit infrared radiation, resulting in an increase in surface temperature. |
| Greenhouse Gases | gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, that absorb and give off infrared radiation as part of the greenhouse effect. |
| Smog | the combination of smoke and fog; a type of air pollution that occurs when sunlight causes unburned flames, feums, other gases to react chemically, often seen as a brownish haze. |
| fossil fuels | fuels formed from the remains of prehistoric organisms that are burned for energy. |
| particulate | tiny particles or droplets, such as dust, dirt, and pollen that are mixed with air |
| air pressure | the force of air molecules pushing on an area |
| altitude | the distance above sea level |
| barometer | an instrument that measures air pressure in the atmosphere |
| wind | the horizontal movement of air caused by differences in the air pressure |
| coriolis effect | the influence of earth's rotation on objects that move over earth |
| el nino | a disturbance of wind patterns and ocean currents in the Pacific ocean that causes temporary climate changes in many parts of the world |
| isobar | a line on the weather, ap connecting places that have the same air pressure |
| global winds | winds that travel long distances in steady patterns over several weeks |
| low pressure system | a large and often stormy weather that occurs when air moves around and into a low-pressure center, then moves up to a higher altitude |
| high pressure system | a generally calm and clear weather system that occurs when air sinks down in a high-pressure center spreads out towards areas of lower pressure at is nears the ground. |
| monsoons | a wind that changes with the direction |
| sleet | small pellets of ice that forms when rain passes through the layer of cold air and freezes before hitting the ground. |
| storm surge | a rapid rise in water level in a coastal area that occurs when a hurricane pushes a huge mass of ocean water, often leading to flooding and widespread destruction. |
| jet streams | a wind that flows in the upper troposphere from west to east over vast distances at great speeds. |
| dew points | the temperature at which air with a given amount of water vapor will reach saturation |
| humidity | the amount of water vapor in the air |
| relative humidity | the comparison of the amount of water vapor in air with the maximum amount of water vapor that can be present in air at that temperature |
| cirrus | means "curl of hair" cirrus clouds appear feathery or wispy |
| cumulus | means "heap" or "pile" cumulus-type clouds can grow to be very tall. |
| stratus | means "spread out". stratus-type clouds form in flat layers. |
| air mass | a large volume of air that has nearly the same temperature and humidity at different locations at the same altitude |
| cold front | forms when a cold air mass pushes a warm air mass and forces the warm air to rise . As the warm air rises, its moisture condenses and forms tall clouds |
| warm front | forms when a warm air mass pushes a cold air mass. The warm air rises slowly over the cold air and its moisture condenses into flat clouds. |
| stationary front | occurs when two air masses push against each other without moving. A stationary front becomes a warm or cold front when one air mass advances. |
| tropical storm | a low-pressure system that starts in the tropics with winds of at least 65 kilometers per hour (40 mi/h) but less than 120 kilometers per hour (74 mi/h) |
| hurricane | a tropical low-pressure system with sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour (74 mi/h) or more |
| tornado | a violently rotating column of air stretching from a cloud to the ground. |
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