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Weather Vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Weather | The state of the atmosphere at a given time and place. Includes: temperature, moisture, wind, air pressure & humidity. |
| Climate | The average weather of a region over a long period of time- typically a 30 year average. Dependent on: latitude(N/S), topography, elevation & distance from large bodies of water. |
| Atmosphere | The layer of gases protecting the Earth- composed mostly of nitrogen & oxygen. |
| Troposphere | First layer of the atmosphere- weather occurs here. Air is the densest at this level. Tropo means to turn or change. |
| Stratosphere | Second layer of the atmosphere- planes fly here & it also contains the ozone, that protects us from the full strength of the sun's ultrviolet radiation. |
| Mesophere | Third (middle) layer of the atmosphere- Coldest layer- meteors burn up here due to friction. Meso means middle. |
| Thermosphere | Fourth layer of the atmosphere- this is where the Northern Lights occur & the International Space Station orbits. Thermo means hot. |
| Exosphere | The fifth and outer most layer of the atmopshere that merges with space. Exo means outer. |
| Air Pressure | The pressure caused by the weight of the atmosphere. There is more air pressure at sea level than there is in the mountains. |
| Barometer | The instrument used to measure air pressure. As elevation INCREASES, air pressure DECREASES. Think 'Mile High Stadium' vs. Tampa. |
| Gulf Stream | A strong, warm ocean current that moves warm water from the Gulf of Mexico up into the Northern Atlantic. |
| Temperature | A measure of the average kinetic energy (motion) of individual molecules in matter. Warm molecules move faster, have more energy & are less dense. Cold molecules move slower, have less energy & are more dense. |
| Evaporation | The process of a liquid turning into a gas due to an increase in temperature or pressure. |
| Condensation | The process of a gas turning into a liquid due to a decrease in temperature or pressure- cloud formation. |
| Water Vapor | The gas form of water- clouds |
| Precipitation | Water that falls to Earth's surface as rain, snow, sleet or hail. |
| Dew | Moisture condensed from the atmosphere- deposited in the form of small drops on any cool surface. |
| Wind | Moving air due to temperature differences in bodies air. Travels from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. |
| Air Mass | Large bodies of air with similar temperature and humidity throughout it. |
| Humidity | The amount of water vapor present in the air. Warm air holds more moisture & cold air holds less moisture due to how their molecules are arranged. |
| Jet Stream | A steady worldwide wind in the upper atmosphere (30,000 ft) that blows from West to East. Flows between the boundary of cool air sinking from the poles and warm air rising from the equator. |
| Coriolis Effect | The tendancy of the path of air and water to curve due to the Earth's rotation. Northern hemisphere bends/spins clockwise & Southern hemipshere bends/spins counter clockwise. |
| Meteorology | The study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather process & forecasting. |
| Front | A place where one air mass meets and pushes aside another air mass. |
| Low (Pressure) | An area where the air pressure is lower than it is in surrounding areas. Shown on a weather map with a capital red L. Characterized by lousy weather- precipitation & cloudiness. |
| High (Pressure) | An area where the air pressure is higher than it is in surrounding areas. Shown on a weather map as a capital blue H. Characterized by happy/fair weather- clear skies & drier air. |
| Cold Front | The leading edge of a moving mass of cooler air. Characterized by thunderstorms along the front & followed by drier, colder air. |
| Warm Front | The leading edge of a moving mass of warmer air. Characterized by light rain & cloudy weather. |
| Stationary Front | When a cold air mass & a warm air mass cannot overtake each other- because of this they don't move. Characterized by little change in temperature, cloudy skies & precipitation. |
| Replicate | The act of a scientist completing another scientist’s experiment to confirm findings or to ensure accuracy. |
| Empirical Research | Research based on firsthand experience of observed & measured phenomena. |
| Anomaly | Something different than what was expected. |
| Phenomena | A fact, occurrence, or circumstance observed or observable in nature. |
| Dependent Variable | The variable in a controlled experiment that the scientist is measuring or taking data on. Sometimes called the outcome or responding variable. |
| Bias | A tendency (either known or unknown) to prefer one thing over another that prevents objectivity, that influences understanding or outcomes in some way. |
| Theory | A scientific theory explains WHY something happens – evidence based explanation. Ex: Big Bang Theory |
| Repeat | To do again. In science, trials should be repeated three to five times to verify findings. |
| Independent Variable | The variable in a controlled experiment that ‘I’, the scientist ‘I’ntentionally change. Sometimes called the manipulated or test variable. |
| Composition | The material an object is made of. Base word: compose |
| Infer | To arrive at a conclusion using observations along with background knowledge. |
| Hypothesis | A hypothesis is usually tentative; it's an assumption or suggestion made strictly for the objective of being tested. |
| Field Study | A scientific study of free-living plants or animals in which the subjects are observed in their natural habitat without changing, harming or altering the setting or subjects. Sometimes called an observational study. |
| Control | The control in an experiment is the group that is left NORMAL in order to provide a baseline. CONTROL freaks keep 1 group NORMAL! |
| Geology | Geo=Earth/Rock The study of Rocks- Earth’s surface, interior, rock cycle, etc. |
| Qualitative | A non-numerical observation made about an object’s qualities, such as shape, color, material, etc. |
| Systematic Observation | A calculated form of observation used to either support or disprove a hypothesis. The skill of recognizing and noting phenomena. Involves measurement. |
| Ethics | From the Greek word Ethos-Character A set of moral principles: a theory or system of moral values |
| Constant | Constants are the aspects of an experiment that STAY the SAME in order to make sure that the results are fair and valid. |
| Quantitative | A numerical based observation about an object, such as its weight, height, width, etc. |
| Law | A scientific law describes What happens but doesn’t explain. Ex: The Law of Gravitation |
| Transpiration | The process of plants taking in water via their root and releasing it as water vapor via their leaves. More plants = more rain. It isn't a coincidence that it is always raining in the rain forest. |
Created by:
Demes Earth Science
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