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Weather
Unit 8 Weather
Question | Answer |
---|---|
atmosphere | The gases that surround the earth. |
air pressure | A measure of the amount of pressure being exerted on a location by the atmosphere. |
humidity | A measure of the amount of water vapor in the air. |
air mass | A large body of air with relatively uniform characteristics. |
weather front | The boundary between two air masses. |
prevailing winds | The directional winds that usually occur in a region. |
psychrometer | Instrument that measures humidity. |
barometer | Instrument that measures air pressure. |
anemometer | Instrument that measures wind speed. |
conduction | The transfer of energy by direct contact. |
convection | The transfer of energy by the circular movement of a liquid or gas. |
radiation | The transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves. |
jet stream | A narrow band of winds greater than 57 miles per hour in the upper atmosphere. |
gulf stream | A warm ocean current that flows from the Gulf of Mexico across the Atlantic to the coast of Europe. |
gyre | A large system of rotating ocean currents. |
hurricane | A large rotating storm with very low air pressure that begins over warm ocean waters. |
electromagnetic spectrum | The spectrum of waves from gamma rays to radio waves that can travel without a medium. All of them travel at the speed of light. |
density | The amount of matter in a given space or volume. Mass divided by volume. |
global warming | The gradual increase in teh average temperature of the earth. |
greenhouse effect | The warming of the earth caused by gases in the atmosphere trapping heat. |
Low pressure | Air pressure associated with rising air, cloudy skies and rainy conditions. |
High pressure | Air pressure associated with falling air, fair skies, and dry conditions. |
greenhouse gas | Gases like methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that trap heat in the earth. |