Weather Vocab

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stratosphere

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The second major layer of earth's atmosphere just above the troposphere and below the mesosphere.This layer holds 19 percent of the atmosphere's gases but very little water vapor.This increase in temperature with height means warmer air is located above cooler air. This prevents "convection" as there is no upward vertical movement of the gases. As such the location of the bottom of this layer is readily seen by the 'anvil-shaped' tops of cumulonimbus clouds.

Front 2

troposphere

Back 2

The lowest region of the atmosphere, extending from the earth's surface to a height of about 3.7-6.2 miles which is the lower boundary of the atmosphere. Most weather occurs here.

Front 3

polar jet stream

Back 3

A high altitude wind current associated with the polar front.

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temperature advection

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The rate of change in temperature at a particular place due to the departure of air at one temperature and its replacement by air arriving from upwind with a different temperature.

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isotherms

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Lines of constant temperature.

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Rossby waves

Back 6

A natural phenomenon in the atmosphere and oceans that largely owe their properties to rotation of the planet.

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carbon dioxide

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Plants use it to make oxygen. Carbon dioxide also acts as a blanket that prevents the escape of heat into outer space.Makes up0.033%of the atmosphere.

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Exosphere

Back 8

This is the outermost layer of the atmosphere. It extends from the top of the thermosphere to 6,200 miles (10,000 km) above the earth. In this layer, atoms and molecules escape into space and satellites orbit the earth. At the bottom of the exosphere is the thermopause located around 375 miles (600 km) above the earth.

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Evaporation

Back 9

Evaporation is the change of state in a substance from a liquid to a gas. In meteorology, the substance we are concerned about the most is water.For evaporation to take place, energy is required. The energy can come from any source: the sun, the atmosphere, the earth, or objects on the earth such as humans.

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Transpiration

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Transpiration is the evaporation of water from plants through stomata. Stomata are small openings found on the underside of leaves that are connected to vascular plant tissues. In most plants, transpiration is a passive process largely controlled by the humidity of the atmosphere and the moisture content of the soil. Of the transpired water passing through a plant only 1% is used in the growth process of the plant. The remaining 99% is passed into the atmosphere.

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Condensation

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Condensation is the process whereby water vapor in the atmosphere is changed into a liquid state. In the atmosphere condensation may appear as clouds or dew. Condensation is the process whereby water appears on the side of an uninsulated cold drink can or bottle.Condensation is not a matter of one particular temperature but of a difference between two temperatures; the air temperature and the dewpoint temperature

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Precipitation

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Precipitation is the result when the tiny condensation particles grow too large, through collision and coalescence, for the rising air to support, and thus fall to the earth. Precipitation can be in the form of rain, hail, snow or sleet.Precipitation is the primary way we receive fresh water on earth. On average, the world receives about 38½" (980 mm) each year over both the oceans and land masses.

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Runoff

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Runoff occurs when there is excessive precipitation and the ground is saturated (cannot absorb any more water). Rivers and lakes are results of runoff. There is some evaporation from runoff into the atmosphere but for the most part water in rivers and lakes returns to the oceans.If runoff water flows into the lake only (with no outlet for water to flow out of the lake), then evaporation is the only means for water to return to the atmosphere. As water evaporates, impurities or salts are left behind. The result is the lake becomes salty as in the case of the Great Salt Lake in Utah or Dead Sea in Israel.Evaporation of this runoff into the atmosphere begins the hydrologic cycle over again. Some of the water percolates into the soil and into the ground water only to be drawn into plants again for transpiration to take place.