Question | Answer |
Weather | State of the atmosphere at a specific time and place; determined by factors including air pressure, amount of moisture in the air, temperature, and wind |
Latitude | A measure of distance north or south of the equator |
Density | Mass of an object divided by its volume |
Climate | Average weather pattern in an area over a long period of time; can be classified by temperature, humidity, precipitation, and vegetation |
Atmosphere | Earth's air, which is made up of a thin layer of gases, solids, and liquids; forms a protective layer around the planet and is divided into five distinct layers |
Convection | Transfer of heat by the flow of material |
Conduction | Transfer of energy that occurs when molecules bump into each other |
Radiation | Energy transferred by waves or rays |
Air Pressure | The force per unit area exerted into a surface by the weight of air above that surface in the atmosphere of Earth (or that of another planet) |
Air Mass | Large body of air that has the same characteristics of temperature and moisture content as the part of Earth's surface over which it formed |
Wind | The movement of air from an area of higher pressure to an area of lower pressure |
Land Breeze | Movement of air from land to sea at night; created when cooler, denser air from the land forces up warmer air over the sea |
Sea Breeze | Movement of air from sea to land during the day when cooler air from above the water moves over the land, forcing the heated, less dense air above the land to rise |
Ocean Current | A continuous, directed movement of ocean water generated by the forces acting upon this flow, such as wind and the Coriolis effect |
Jet Stream | Narrow belt of strong winds that blows near the top of the troposphere |
Gulf Stream | A powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean |
Hurricane | Large, severe storm that forms over tropical oceans, has winds of at least 120 km/h, and loses power when it reaches land |