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Weather Vocab
Science
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Thermal Energy | produced when a rise in temperature causes atoms and molecules to move faster and collide with each other |
| Energy | the strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity. |
| Atmosphere | the envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet. |
| Troposphere | the lowest region of the atmosphere, extending from the earth's surface to a height of about 3.7–6.2 miles (6–10 km), which is the lower boundary of the stratosphere. |
| Stratosphere | the layer of the earth's atmosphere above the troposphere, extending to about 32 miles (50 km) above the earth's surface (the lower boundary of the mesosphere). |
| Mesosphere | the region of the earth's atmosphere above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere, between about 30 and 50 miles (50 and 80 km) in altitude. |
| Thermosphere | he region of the atmosphere above the mesosphere and below the height at which the atmosphere ceases to have the properties of a continuous medium. |
| Exosphere | the outermost region of a planet's atmosphere. |
| Oxygen | a colorless, odorless reactive gas, the chemical element of atomic number 8 and the life-supporting component of the air. |
| Nitrogen | the chemical element of atomic number 7, a colorless, odorless unreactive gas that forms about 78 percent of the earth's atmosphere. Liquid nitrogen (made by distilling liquid air) boils at 77.4 kelvins (−195.8°C) and is used as a coolant. |
| Argon | the chemical element of atomic number 18, an inert gaseous element of the noble gas group. Argon is the most common noble gas, making up nearly one percent of the earth's atmosphere. |
| Trace Gases | A trace gas makes up less than 1% by volume of a planet's atmosphere. |
| Water Vapor | water in a vaporous form especially when below boiling temperature and diffused (as in the atmosphere). |
| Air Pressure | water in a vaporous form especially when below boiling temperature and diffused (as in the atmosphere). |
| Mercury Barometer | an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure in a certain location |
| Aneroid Barometer | a device for measuring atmospheric pressure without the use of fluids |
| Low Pressure | a condition of the atmosphere in which the pressure is below average (e.g. in a depression). |
| High Pressure | a condition of the atmosphere in which the pressure is above average (e.g. in an anticyclone). |
| Convection | the movement caused within a fluid by the tendency of hotter and therefore less dense material to rise, and colder, denser material to sink under the influence of gravity, which consequently results in transfer of heat. |
| Jet Stream | a narrow variable band of very strong predominantly westerly air currents encircling the globe several miles above the earth. There are typically two or three jet streams in each of the northern and southern hemispheres. |
| Coriolis Effect | an effect whereby a mass moving in a rotating system experiences a force (the Coriolis force ) acting perpendicular to the direction of motion and to the axis of rotation. |
| Global Winds | winds that develop in belts distributed all around the world. |
| Trade Winds | a wind blowing steadily towards the equator from the northeast in the northern hemisphere or the southeast in the southern hemisphere, especially at sea. |
| Westerlies | a wind blowing from the west. |
| Polar Easterlies | dry, cold prevailing winds that blow from the east. |
| The Doldrums | a state or period of inactivity, stagnation, or depression. |
| Horse Latitudes | a belt of calm air and sea occurring in both the northern and southern hemispheres between the trade winds and the westerlies. |
| Local Wind Patterns | winds that blow over a limited area. |
| SeaBreeze | a breeze blowing toward the land from the sea, especially during the day owing to the relative warmth of the land. |
| Land Breeze | a breeze blowing toward the sea from the land, especially at night, owing to the relative warmth of the sea. |
| Water Cycle | the cycle of processes by which water circulates between the earth's oceans, atmosphere, and land, involving precipitation as rain and snow, drainage in streams and rivers, and return to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration. |
| Evaporate | turn from liquid into vapor. |
| Condensation | water which collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it. |
| Runoff | the draining away of water (or substances carried in it) from the surface of an area of land, a building or structure, etc. |
| Meteorologist | an expert in or student of meteorology; a weather forecaster |
| Cirrus | cloud forming wispy filamentous tufted streaks (“mare's tails”) at high altitude, usually 16,500–45,000 feet (5–13 km). |
| Stratus | cloud forming a continuous horizontal gray sheet, often with rain or snow. |
| Nimbus | a large gray rain cloud. |
| Cumulus | cloud forming rounded masses heaped on each other above a flat base at fairly low altitude. |
| Air Mass | a body of air with horizontally uniform temperature, humidity, and pressure. |
| Weather | the state of the atmosphere in regard to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness. |
| Climate | the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period. |
| Forecast | a prediction or estimate of future events, especially coming weather or a financial trend. |
| Temperature | he degree or intensity of heat present in a substance or object, especially as expressed according to a comparative scale and shown by a thermometer or perceived by touch. |
| Front | the foremost line or part of an armed force; the furthest position that an army has reached and where the enemy is or may be engaged. |
| Humidity | the state or quality of being humid. |
| High Pressure System | a particular area where the air is higher or lower pressure than the air that surrounds it. |
| Low Pressure System | places where the atmosphere is relatively thin. |
| Storms | a violent disturbance of the atmosphere with strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow. |
| Precipitation | rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. |
| Tornado | a mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud and advancing beneath a large storm system. |
| Thunderstorm | a storm with thunder and lightning and typically also heavy rain or hail. |
| Hurricane | a storm with a violent wind, in particular a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean. |
| Flood | an overflowing of a large amount of water beyond its normal confines, especially over what is normally dry land. |
| Winter Storms | a combination of heavy snow, blowing snow and/or dangerous wind chills. |
| Cumulonimbus Clouds | associated with extreme weather such as heavy torrential downpours, hail storms, lightning and even tornadoes |
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