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Meteorology Vocab
Unit Vocab: Meterology
| 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 notion of heated gas or liquids |
| Condensation | The process by which a 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 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 of 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 measure air pressure on the atmosphere |
| Wind | The horizontal movement of air cause 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 uses temporary climate changes in many parts of the world |
| Isobar | A line on the weather ,Ap connecting places that have the same air pressure |
| 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 as it 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 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, it’s 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 condensed into flat clouds |
| Stationary front | Occurs when two air masses push again each other without moving. A stationary front becomes a warm or cold cron when one air mass advances |
| Tropical storm | A low-pressure system that starts on the tropics with winds of at least 65 kilo maters per hour but less then 120 kilometers per hour |
| Hurricane | A tropical low-pressure system with sustained winds of 120 kilometer per hour or more |
| Tornado | A violently rotating column of air stretching from a cloud to the ground |
| Global winds | Winds that travel long distances in steady patterns over several weeks |