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science vocabe
weather and climate science vocab questions
| 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 Earth’s surface. |
| Precipitation | Any type of liquid or solid water that falls to 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 certain types 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 a gas changes into a liquid. |
| Greenhouse effect | the process by which certain 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 fuels, fumes, 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 a 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 altitudes |
| 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 as it nears the ground |
| Monsoons | a wind that changes with the direction |
| Sleet | mall 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 point | 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 | clouds that form in very cold air in very high altitudes; made of ice crystals, have a feathery appearance |
| Cumulus | puffy, tall, white clouds with dark bases, if they grow taller they can produce precipitation |
| Stratus | smooth low clouds that often cover the whole sky and produce light precipitation |
| 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 on the tropics with winds of at least 65 kilometers per hour but less than 120 kilometers per hour |
| Hurricane | a tropical low-pressure system with sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour or more |
| Tornado | a violently rotating column of air stretching from a cloud to the ground |
Created by:
Finkey
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