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25 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
radiation |
the direct transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves |
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infrared radiation |
electromagnetic waves with wavelengths that are longer than visible light but shorter than microwaves |
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ultraviolet radiation |
electromagnetic waves with wavelengths that are shorter than visible light but longer than X-rays |
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greenhouse effect |
the process by which heat is trapped in the atmosphere by gases that form a "blanket" around earth |
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temperature |
a measure of how hot or cold an object is compared to a reference point |
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thermal energy |
the total energy of motion in the particles of a substance |
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heat |
the transfer of thermal energy from one object to another because of the diffrence in temperature |
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conduction |
the direct transfer of thermal energy from one substance to another that it is touching |
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convection |
the transfer of thermal energy by the movement of a fluid |
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wind |
the horizontal movement of air from one area of high pressure to an area of lower pressure |
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anemometer |
an instrument used to measure wind |
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sea breeze |
the flow of cooler air from over an ocean or lake toward land |
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land breeze |
the flow of air from land to a boby of water |
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global winds |
winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distances |
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coriolis effect |
the change that earth's rotation causes in the motion of objects and that explains how winds curve |
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jet stream |
bands of high-speed winds about 10 kilometers above earth's surface |
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water cycle |
the continual movement of water among earth's atmosphere, oceans, and land surface through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation |
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evaporation |
the process by which water molecules in liquid water escape into the air as water vapor |
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humidity |
the amount of water in a given volume of air |
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relative humidity |
the percentage of water vapor in the air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor that air can contain at a particular temperature |
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psychrometer |
an instrument used to measure relative humidity |
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condensation |
the process by which molecules of water in the air become liquid water |
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dew point |
the temperature at which condensation begins |
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precipitation |
any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches earth's surface |
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drought |
long periods of low precipitation |