Weather And Climate

Front 1

. Latitude

Back 1

is the distance north or south, measured in degrees, from the equator. In general, the temperature of an area depends on its latitude

Front 2

Weather

Back 2

is the condition of the atmosphere at a particular time. Weather conditions vary from day to day and include temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind, and visibility.

Front 3

Climate,

Back 3

on the other hand, is the average weather condition in an area over a long period of time.

Front 4

prevailing winds.

Back 4

Winds that blow mainly from one direction

Front 5

Elevation

Back 5

is the height of surface landforms above sea level.

Front 6

Surface currents

Back 6

are streamlike movements of water that occur at or near the surface of the ocean.

Front 7

biome

Back 7

is a large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plant and animal communities.

Front 8

tropical zone

Back 8

The region that surrounds the equator and that extends from about 23.5º north latitude to 23.5º south latitude

Front 9

Thunderstorms

Back 9

are small, intense weather systems that produce strong winds, heavy rain, lightning, and thunder.

Front 10

Lightning

Back 10

is an electric discharge that occurs between a positively charged area and a negatively charged area,

Front 11

Thunder

Back 11

is the sound that results from the rapid expansion of air along the lightning strike.

Front 12

tornado

Back 12

is a small, spinning column of air that has high wind speeds and low central pressure and that touches the ground.

Front 13

hurricane

Back 13

A large, rotating tropical weather system that has wind speeds of at least 120 km/h

Front 14

thermometer.

Back 14

A tool used to measure air temperature

Front 15

barometer

Back 15

is an instrument used to measure air pressure.

Front 16

anemometer.

Back 16

An instrument used to measure wind speed

Front 17

humidity.

Back 17

The amount of water vapor in the air

Front 18

Condensation

Back 18

is the process by which a gas, such as water vapor, becomes a liquid.

Front 19

cloud

Back 19

is a collection of millions of tiny water droplets or ice crystals. Clouds form as warm air rises and cools

Front 20

Precipitation

Back 20

is water, in solid or liquid form, that falls from the air to Earth.

Front 21

air mass

Back 21

is a large body of air where temperature and moisture content are similar throughout.

Front 22

front

Back 22

The area in which two types of air masses meet is called

Front 23

cold front

Back 23

where cold air moves under warm air, which is less dense, and pushes the warm air up. Cold fronts can move quickly and bring thunderstorms, heavy rain, or snow.

Front 24

warm front

Back 24

forms where warm air moves over cold, denser air. In a warm front, the warm air gradually replaces the cold air.

Front 25

occluded front

Back 25

forms when a warm air mass is caught between two colder air masses

Front 26

stationary front

Back 26

forms when a cold air mass meets a warm air mass

Front 27

cyclones

Back 27

Areas that have lower pressure than the surrounding areas do are called cyclones

Front 28

anticyclones

Back 28

Anticyclones are areas where air moves apart, or diverges, and sinks.

Front 29

polar

Back 29

describes a molecule in which the positive and negative charges are separated

Front 30

trade winds

Back 30

prevailing winds that blow from east to west from 30° latitude to the equator in both hemispheres

Front 31

dew point

Back 31

at constant pressure and water vapor content, the temperature at which the rate of condensation equals the rate of evaporation

Front 32

greenhouse effect

Back 32

the warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs when carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases in the air absorb and reradiate infrared radiation

Front 33

global warming

Back 33

a gradual increase in the average global temperature that is due to a higher concentration of gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

Front 34

maritime tropical

Back 34

a warm and humid air mass that typically forms over tropical oceans

Front 35

continental tropical

Back 35

a warm air mass that forms over land and that has low humidity

Front 36

maritime polar

Back 36

a cold air mass that has high humidity as a result of passing over warmer water

Front 37

Coriolis effect

Back 37

the curving of the path of a moving object from an otherwise straight path due to the Earth's rotation

Front 38

jet stream

Back 38

a narrow band of strong winds that blow in the upper troposphere

Front 39

polar easterlies

Back 39

prevailing winds that blow from east to west between 60° and 90° latitude in both hemispheres

Front 40

westerlies

Back 40

prevailing winds that blow from west to east between 30° and 60° latitude in both hemispheres

Front 41

pollution

Back 41

an undesirable change in the natural environment that is caused by the introduction of substances that are harmful to living organisms or by excessive wastes, heat, noise, or radiation