Flashcards
Acid rain
a broad term referring to a mixture of wet and dry deposition (deposited material) from the atmosphere containing higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids
Humidity
A quantity representing the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere or a gas
Relative humidity
the amount of water vapor present in air expressed as a percentage of the amount needed for saturation at the same temperature
Cirrus
cloud forming wispy filamentous tufted streaks (“mare’s tails”) at high altitude, usually 16,500–45,000 feet (5–13 km)
Cumulus
a cloud forming rounded masses heaped on each other above a flat base at fairly low altitude
Stratus
cloud forming a continuous horizontal gray sheet, often with rain or snow.
Air masses
a body of air with horizontally uniform temperature, humidity, and pressure
Stewardship
the management or care of something, particularly the kind that works
El Nino
an irregularly occurring and complex series of climatic changes affecting the equatorial Pacific region and beyond every few years, characterized by the appearance of unusually warm, nutrient-poor water off northern Peru and Ecuador, typically in late December
La Nina
a cooling of the water in the equatorial Pacific that occurs at irregular intervals and is associated with widespread changes in weather patterns complementary to those of El Niño
NOAA(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
An American scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere
Cold front
the boundary of an advancing mass of cold air, in particular the trailing edge of the warm sector of a low-pressure system
Warm front
the boundary of an advancing mass of warm air, in particular the leading edge of the warm sector of a low-pressure system
Stationary front
a pair of air masses, neither of which is strong enough to replace the other
Occluded front
composite front produced by occlusion
Cyclone
a system of winds rotating inward to an area of low atmospheric pressure, with a counterclockwise (northern hemisphere) or clockwise (southern hemisphere) circulation
Anticyclone
a weather system with high atmospheric pressure at its center, around which air slowly circulates in a clockwise (northern hemisphere) or counterclockwise (southern hemisphere) direction. Anticyclones are associated with calm, fine weather
Saffir-Simpson scale
A 1-5 rating based on the hurricane’s present intensity
Enhanced Fujita scale
A scale used to categorize tornados from F1-F5
Isobars
a line on a map connecting points having the same atmospheric pressure at a given time or on average over a given period
Isotherm
a line on a map connecting points having the same temperature at a given time or on average over a given period
Jet stream
a narrow, variable band of very strong, predominantly westerly air currents encircling the globe several miles above the earth
Anemometer
an instrument for measuring the speed of the wind, or of any current of gas
Barometer
an instrument measuring atmospheric pressure, used especially in forecasting the weather and determining altitude
Atmosphere
The envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet
Convection currents
a current in a fluid that results from convection
Exosphere
the outermost region of a planet’s atmosphere
Conduction
the process by which heat or electricity is directly transmitted through a substance when there is a difference of temperature or of electrical potential between adjoining regions, without movement of the material
Stratosphere
the layer of the earth’s atmosphere above the troposphere, extending to about 32 miles (50 km) above the earth’s surface (the lower boundary of the mesosphere)
Front
a transition zone between two air masses
