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61 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
temperature
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measurement of how rapidly r slowly molecules move around
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heat
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transfer of energy that occurs because of a difference in temperature
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dew point
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temperature to which air must be cooled a t constant pressure to reach saturation
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condensation
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occurs when matter changes state form a gas to a liquid
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humidity
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amount of water vapor in the air
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relative humidity
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ration of water vapor in a volume of air compared to how much water vapor that volume of air is capable of holding
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LCL
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height at which condensation occurs
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stability
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ability of an air mass to resist rising
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condensation nuclei
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small particles in the atmosphere around which cloud droples can form
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stratus
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clouds that are sheers or layers that cover much or all of the sky
water droplets/cold front |
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altostratus
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sun shines through thin gray fibers
water droplets/long durations of rain or snow |
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altocumulus
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flatbottombed masses of gray-white
water droplets/possible rain or thunderstorm |
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cirrus
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delicate white fibers
tiny ice crystals/fair weather |
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cirrocumulus
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thin white rippled layers
tiny ice crystaks/warm front |
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cirrostratus
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shapeless white veil
tiny ice crystals/rain wihin 24 hrs |
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nimbostratus
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large thick dark gray patches
water droplets/continous rain or snow |
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cumulonimbus
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tops take shape of anvils
tiny ice crystals;water droplets/ thunderstorm and heavy rain |
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coalescence
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occurs when cloud droplets collide and join together to form a larger droplet
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precpitation
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includes all forms of water both liquid and soild that fall from clouds including rain, snow, sleet, and hail
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water cycle
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The cycle of evaporation and condensation that controls the distribution of the earth's water as it evaporates from bodies of water, condenses, precipitates, and returns to those bodies of water
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evaporation
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process of water changing from a liquid to a gas
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meterology
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The science that deals with the phenomena of the atmosphere, especially weather and weather conditions
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air mass
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large body of air that takes on the characteristics of the area over which it forms
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weather
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current state of the atmosphere, including short -term variations that affect our lives
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climate (def 1)
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describes the average weather over a long period of time and is usually averaged over the course of 30 years or more
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continental tropical
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warm and dry air mass
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maritime tropical
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warm and humid air mass
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continental polar
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cold and dry air mass
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arctic
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cold air mass
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maritime polar
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cold and humid air mass
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Doppler radar
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Doppler radar
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weather satellite
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robotic spacecraft that observe changes in terrestrial weather patterns
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thermometer
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An instrument for measuring temperature
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barometer
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An instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure
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anemometer
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used to measure windspeed
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hygrometer
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measures relative humidity
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radiosonde
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a ballon-borbe package of sensors
gathers upper-level data |
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Doppler effect
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change in wave, frequency taht occurs in energy, such as sound or light, as that energy that moves toward
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ozone
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a molecule of oxygen containing three oxygen atoms
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troposphere
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the layer closest to Earth's surface, contains most of the mass of the atmosphere, including water vapor
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mesosphere
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the atmospheric layer above the stratopause
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stratosphere
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above the tropopause
a layer made up primarily of concentrated ozone |
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thermosphere
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the atmospheric layer above the menopause that contains lonly a minute portion of the atmosphere's mass
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exosphere
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composed of light gases
outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere |
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conduction
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the transfer of heat through matter by molecular activity
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convection
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the transfer of heat by the movement of a mass or substance
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radiation
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the transfer of energy(heat) through space by electromagnetic waves
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trade winds
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first major wind zone
flows at 30 degrees north and south latitude |
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westerlies
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second major wind zone
flows between 30 degrees and 60 degrees north and south latitude in a circulation patern opposite that of the trade winds |
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polar easterlies
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third major wind zone
lies between 60 latitude and the poles |
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jet stream
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narrow bands of high altitude, westerly winds that flow at speeds up to 185 km/h at elevations of 10.7 km to 12.2 km
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warm front
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advancing warm air displaces cold air
developes a gradual frontal slope |
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cold front
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cold, dense air displaces warm air and forces the arm air up along a steep front
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occluded fronts
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the result of a cold air mass overtaking a warm front, eding the warm air upward
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stationary front
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the result of tow air masses meeting and neither advancing air into he other's territory, staying the boundary between them
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station model
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record of weather data for a particular site at a particular time
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digital forecast
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a forecast that relies on numerical data
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short range forecast
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A weather forecast made for a time period generally not greater than 48 hours in advance
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long range forecast
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A weather forecast covering periods from 48 hours to a week in advance (medium-range forecast), and ranging to even longer forecasts over periods of a month, a season, and so on
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climate (def 2)
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describes annual variaitopns of temperature, precipitaion, wind andother weather variables
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El Nino
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warm ocean current that occasionally develops off western cost of South America that causes many short-term climate changes
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