Geo 6 Vocab

Front 1

absolute humidity

Back 1

A direct measure of the water vapor content of air

Front 2

acid rain

Back 2

precipitation with a pH less than 5.6

Front 3

capacity (water vapor)

Back 3

maximum amount of water vapor that can be present in the air at a given temperature

Front 4

capillarity

Back 4

water climbing upward in restricted confinement as a result of its high surface tension

... and thus, the ability of its molecules to stick closely together

Front 5

cirrus cloud

Back 5

high cirriform clouds of feathery appearance

Front 6

condensation

Back 6

process by which water vapor is converted to liquid water;

a warming process because latent heat is released

Front 7

condensation nuclei

Back 7

the atmospheric particles of dust, bacteria, smoke and salt that serve as collection centers for water molecules

Front 8

cumulonimbus

Back 8

cumuliform of great vertical development, often associated with a thunderstorm.

Front 9

cumulus cloud

Back 9

puffy & white, from rising columns of air

Front 10

dew

Back 10

the condensation of water on relatively cold surfaces

Front 11

dew point

Back 11

the critical air temperature at which water vapor saturation is reached

Front 12

dry adiabatic rate

Back 12

the rate at which a parcel of unsaturated air cools as it rises

Front 13

evaporation

Back 13

process by which liquid water is converted to gaseous water vapor;

a cooling process where latent heat is stored

Front 14

evapotranspiration

Back 14

the transfer of moisture to the atmosphere by transpiration from plants ... and evaporation from soil and plants

Front 15

fog

Back 15

a cloud whose base is at or very near ground level

Front 16

frontal lifting

Back 16

forced lifting of air along a front

Front 17

hail

Back 17

rounded or irregular pellets or lumps of ice produced in cumulonimbus as a result of active turbulence and vertical air currents

Front 18

humidity

Back 18

water vapor in the air

Front 19

hydrogen bond

Back 19

attraction between water molecules in which the negatively charged oxygen side of one water molecule is attracted to the positively charged hydrogen side of another water molecule

Front 20

hydrologic cycle

Back 20

a series of storage areas interconnected by various transfer processes, in which there is a ceaseless interchange of moisture in terms of its geographical location and physical state

Front 21

isohyet

Back 21

a line joining points of equal numerical value of precipitation

Front 22

latent heat of condensation

Back 22

heat released when water vapor condenses back to liquid vapor form

Front 23

latent heat of evaporation

Back 23

energy stored when liquid water evaporates to form water vapor

Front 24

latent heat of vaporization

Back 24

stored energy absorbed

Front 25

latent heat

Back 25

energy stored or released when a substance changes state

Front 26

lifting condensation level

LCL

Back 26

the altitude at which rising air cools enough to 100% humidity (dew point), condensation.

Front 27

orographic lifting

Back 27

uplift of air over a topographic barrier

Front 28

precipitation

Back 28

drops of liquid or solid water falling from clouds

Front 29

precipitation variability

Back 29

expected departure from average annual precipitation in any given year

Front 30

rain

Back 30

the most common & widespread form of precipitation, consisting of drops of liquid water

Front 31

rain shadow

Back 31

area of low landfall on the leeward side of a topographic barrier

Front 32

relative humidity

Back 32

an expression of the amount of water vapor in the air in comparison with the total amount that could be there if the air were saturated.

this is the ratio that is expressed as a percentage.

Front 33

saturated adiabatic rate

Back 33

the diminished rate of cooling

averages about 3.3 per 1000 meters of rising air above the condensation level

Front 34

saturation vapor pressure

Back 34

the maximum pressure that can be exerted by water vapor at a given temperature;

the pressure exerted by water vapor when the air is saturated

Front 35

sensible temperature

Back 35

a concept of the relative temperature that is sensed by a person's body

Front 36

snow

Back 36

solid precipitation

Front 37

specific humidity

Back 37

a direct measure of water vapor content expressed as the mass of water vapor in a given mass of air

Front 38

stable (air)

Back 38

air that rises only if forced

Front 39

stratus clouds

Back 39

low clouds, usually below 1.24 miles

sometimes appearing as individual clouds, but more often as a general overcast.

Front 40

sublimation

Back 40

the process by which water vapor is converted directly

Front 41

supercooled water

Back 41

water that persists in liquid form at temperatures below freezing

Front 42

supersaturated (air)

Back 42

air where the relative humidity is greater than 100%, but condensation is not taking place.

Front 43

surface tension

Back 43

because of electrical polarity, liquid water molecules tend to stick together--a thin "skin" of molecules forms on the surface of liquid water causing it to "bead".

Front 44

unstable air

Back 44

air that rises without being forced

Front 45

vapor pressure

Back 45

the pressure exerted by water in the atmosphere