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Weather Vocab
Science
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| 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 | the region of the atmosphere above the mesosphere and below the height at which the atmosphere ceases to have the properties of a continuous medium. The thermosphere is characterized throughout by an increase in temperature with height. |
| 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 | the force exerted by air, whether compressed or unconfined, on any surface in contact with it. |
| Mercury Barometer | an instrument used for measuring the change in atmospheric pressure. |
| 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 |
| High Pressure | a condition of the atmosphere in which the pressure is above average |
| Thermal Energy | the energy contained within a system that is responsible for its temperature |
| Energy | the strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity. |
| 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 fast, narrow current of air flowing from west to east that encircles the globe |
| Corioslis 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. On the earth, the effect tends to deflect moving objects to the right in the northe |
| Global Winds | winds that occur in belts that go all around the planet. |
| Trade Winds | winds that reliably blow east to west just north and south of the equator. |
| Westerlies | a wind blowing from the west. |
| Polar Easterlies | dry, cold prevailing winds that blow from the east |
| The Doldrums | an equatorial region of the Atlantic Ocean with calms, sudden storms, and light unpredictable winds. |
| 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. |
| Sea Breeze | 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 continuous movement of water within the Earth and atmosphere. |
| Evaporate | lose or cause to lose moisture or solvent as vapor. |
| Condensation | water which collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it. |
| Runoff | occurs when there is more water than land can absorb. |
| 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 at a place and time as regards heat, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc. |
| 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 | the 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 | a boundary between two air masses of different densities. |
| Humidity | the state or quality of being humid. |
| Low Pressure System | lower pressure at its center than the areas around it. |
| High Pressure System | have more air pressure than their surroundings. |
| Storms | a violent disturbance of the atmosphere with strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow. |
| Precipitation | any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls back to the earth. |
| 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 | cloud forming a towering mass with a flat base at fairly low altitude and often a flat top, as in thunderstorms. |
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