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Weather & Climate
NYS Earth & Space Sciences
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Climate system | The complex interactions between Earth's atmosphere, oceans, land surfaces, ice, and living organisms that determine long-term weather patterns. |
Electromagnetic radiation | Energy transmitted through space as waves, including visible light, infrared radiation, and other forms of energy from the Sun. |
Greenhouse gases | Atmospheric gases that trap heat by absorbing and re-emitting infrared radiation. |
Ice ages | Periods of extensive glaciation that occur due to changes in Earth's orbit and axial tilt over hundreds of thousands of years. |
Air masses | Large bodies of air with relatively uniform temperature and humidity characteristics. |
Frontal boundaries | The zones where different air masses meet, often producing significant weather changes. |
Conduction | The transfer of thermal energy through direct contact of particles, where faster-moving particles transfer energy to slower-moving particles. In Earth systems, it occurs between the surface and the atmosphere or between different layers of soil/rock. |
Convection | The transfer of thermal energy through the movement of fluids (liquids or gases) where warmer, less dense material rises and cooler, denser material sinks. This process drives atmospheric circulation, ocean currents, and mantle movement. |
Radiation | The transfer of energy through electromagnetic waves that can travel through empty space without requiring a medium. Solar radiation from the Sun provides Earth's primary energy source, while Earth radiates infrared energy back to space. |
Climate Change | Long-term shifts in global or regional climate patterns, primarily caused by increased greenhouse gas concentrations from human activities. This results in rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and more extreme weather events. |
Insolation | Incoming solar radiation that reaches Earth's surface, varying by latitude, season, time of day, and atmospheric conditions. Insolation drives weather patterns, ocean currents, and provides energy for photosynthesis and climate systems. |
Albedo | The measure of how much solar radiation is reflected by a surface, expressed as a percentage or decimal from 0 to 1. Ice and snow have high albedo (reflect most light), while forests and oceans have low albedo (absorb most light). |
Permafrost | |
Earth's Energy Budget | The balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing terrestrial radiation that determines Earth's temperature. When incoming energy equals outgoing energy, Earth's temperature remains stable; imbalances lead to warming or cooling. |
Greenhouse Gases | Atmospheric gases that trap heat by absorbing and re-emitting infrared radiation, causing the greenhouse effect. Examples include carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), water vapor (H₂O), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and fluorinated gases. |
El Niño | |
La Niña | A climate pattern characterized by cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Brings drier conditions to the southern United States and wetter conditions to the Pacific Northwest. |
Climate Change | Long-term alterations in temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and other aspects of climate on regional and global scales, primarily driven by human activities that increase greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. |
Drought | Extended periods of below-normal precipitation that result in water shortages affecting agriculture, water supply, ecosystems, and human activities. Climate change is expected to increase drought frequency and severity in many regions. |
Melting Ice Caps | The reduction in size and mass of polar ice sheets and glaciers due to rising global temperatures, contributing to sea level rise and altering regional climate patterns and ocean circulation. |
Thawing Permafrost | The melting of permanently frozen ground due to warming temperatures, releasing stored carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere while destabilizing infrastructure and ecosystems in Arctic regions. |
Rising Sea Levels | The increase in global ocean levels caused by thermal expansion of seawater and melting of land-based ice, threatening coastal communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure worldwide. |
Stronger Hurricanes | The intensification of tropical cyclones due to warmer ocean temperatures providing more energy for storm development, leading to higher wind speeds, greater storm surge, and increased precipitation. |
Extreme Weather Events | Unusually severe weather phenomena such as heat waves, intense storms, flooding, and severe droughts that occur more frequently and with greater intensity due to climate change. |
Loss of Biodiversity | The reduction in variety of life forms and ecosystems caused by habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and other human activities, threatening ecosystem stability and services. |
Extinctions | The permanent disappearance of species from Earth, accelerated by human activities and climate change, representing an irreversible loss of genetic diversity and ecosystem function. |
Tropical Air Mass | A large body of air that forms over warm regions near the equator, characterized by high temperatures and high humidity, bringing warm, moist conditions when it moves into other areas. |
Polar Air Mass | A large body of air that forms over cold polar regions, characterized by low temperatures and low humidity, bringing cold, dry conditions when it moves into lower latitudes. |
Maritime Air Mass | An air mass that forms over oceans or large bodies of water, characterized by high humidity and moderate temperatures, bringing moist conditions and potential precipitation to areas it affects. |
Continental Air Mass | An air mass that forms over large landmasses, characterized by low humidity and temperature extremes (hot in summer, cold in winter), bringing dry conditions to areas it influences. |
Cold Front (Weather Changes) | The leading edge of a cold air mass replacing a warm air mass, typically bringing rapid temperature drops, wind shifts, brief heavy precipitation, and clearing skies as it passes through an area. |
Warm Front (Weather Changes) | The leading edge of a warm air mass gradually overriding a cold air mass, typically bringing gradual temperature increases, light to moderate precipitation over a wide area, and overcast skies. |
Station Model (Draw One, Analyze One) | A standardized symbolic representation of weather data at a specific location, showing temperature, pressure, wind speed and direction, precipitation, cloud cover, and other meteorological conditions using internationally recognized symbols and placement. |
High Pressure (Air Flow & Weather) | An area where air pressure is higher than surrounding areas, characterized by descending air that creates clockwise circulation in the Northern Hemisphere, generally bringing clear skies, light winds, and stable weather conditions. |
Low Pressure (Air Flow & Weather) | An area where air pressure is lower than surrounding areas, characterized by rising air that creates counterclockwise circulation in the Northern Hemisphere, generally bringing clouds, precipitation, and unstable weather conditions. |
Tornado (Causes, Effects, Safety) | A violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground, caused by wind shear and atmospheric instability. Effects: property destruction and casualties. Safety: seek shelter in interior rooms on the lowest floor away from windows. |
Hurricane (Causes, Effects, Safety) | A large tropical cyclone with sustained winds over 74 mph, formed over warm ocean waters with low wind shear. Effects: storm surge, flooding, and wind damage. Safety: evacuation from coastal areas and securing shelter in sturdy buildings. |
Lake Effect Snow (Causes, Effects, Safety) | Heavy snowfall that occurs when cold air moves over relatively warm lake waters, picking up moisture and depositing it as snow on the downwind shores. Effects: localized heavy snow accumulation. Safety: avoiding travel and preparing for power outages. |