Meteorology Flashcards
Antarctic
having to do with continent of Antarctica or the area around it; having to do with the South Pole or the area around it
Arctic
In the Arctic, winter temperatures average about 30 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. The Arctic is the northernmost region in the world and includes the Arctic Ocean, polar ice caps, and continental land masses such as Greenland and the northernmost parts of Canada and Russia. This region is surrounded by an imaginary line called the Arctic Circle. In the summer, the sun doesn’t set in the Arctic, so there is continuous daylight all season. The opposite is true in the winter, when it is dark 24 hours a day for many months. The Arctic’s climate is harsh. There are no trees and few plants, but that doesn’t mean the area isn’t important. Scientists studying the Arctic are concerned about the receding, or melting, polar ice caps, as well as the ways global warming can impact the region. Native American peoples who live in this region include the Inuit, the Aleut, and the Yupik. Historically, few people have lived in the Arctic region, but it is home to polar bears and a diverse number of fish, marine mammals, and birds.
Celsius
the metric temperature scale: Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius, and it freezes at 0 degrees Celsius.
the third planet from the Sun; the planet on which we live (related words: earthly; earth - meaning soil or dirt)
Earth
movement; something that happens (related words: move, moving
Action
the part of the atmosphere closest to Earth; the part of the atmosphere that organisms on Earth use for respiration.
Air
Air pressure
the force that air puts on an area (related word: pressure)
layers of gas that surround a planet (related word: atmospheric)
Atmosphere
Barometer
a tool used to measure air pressure (related word: barometric)
Barometric pressure
the pressure (force per unit area) of the atmosphere against a surface
a natural cycle in which carbon compounds, mainly carbon dioxide, are incorporated into living tissue through photosynthesis and returned to the atmosphere by respiration, decay of dead organisms, and the burning of fossil fuels
Carbon cycle
thin, wispy-looking clouds; commonly found at heights greater than 6 km
Cirrus clouds
a collection of water droplets or ice crystals in the atmosphere
Cloud
anvil-shaped cloud that is often involved in heavy or violent storms: ——————- ——- are also called thunderheads. (related words: cumulus, nimbus)
Cumulonimbus clouds
large, fluffy, white clouds, often seen in fair skies; can develop into cumulonimbus clouds
Cumulus clouds
an area that gets little precipitation and has very little vegetation
Desert
Dew point
the temperature at which water vapor in the air condenses into water
a prolonged shortage of rainfall
Drought
the transfer of energy from one organism to another through a food chain or web; or the transfer of energy from one object to another, such as heat energy
Energy transfer
Forecast
(v) to analyze weather data and make an educated guess about weather in the future; (n) a prediction about what the weather will be like in the future based on weather data
the temperature at which a liquid turns into a solid
Freezing point
Front
in weather, the boundary between two masses of air with different properties
Funnel cloud
a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud: Funnel clouds do not touch the ground.
the slow warming of Earth’s atmosphere due to climatic change
Global warming
small, icy balls that fall from the sky
Hail
the measure of how much water vapor is in the air
Humidity
a storm with strong winds and rain that forms over tropical waters (related term: typhoon, tropical cyclone)
Hurricane
Latitude
angular distance north and south of the equator
the study of patterns of weather
Meteorology
large-scale movement of water within the oceans in a certain direction
Ocean current
water that is released from clouds in the sky; includes rain, snow, sleet, hail, and freezing rain
Precipitation
to guess what will happen in the future (related word: prediction)
Predict
liquid water that falls from the sky
Rain
frozen rain or precipitation in the form of ice pellets
Sleet
Taiga
a large naturally occurring area of land with largely evergreen forest vegetation found in northern sections of the Northern Hemisphere
the measure of how hot or cold the air is outside
Temperature
a set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena.
Theory
a device used to measure temperature
Thermometer
a loud noise that happens when lightning heats the air and causes it to expand and contract quickly
Thunder
a weather system that produces heavy precipitation, winds, lightning, and thunder
Thunderstorm
a funnel-shaped cloud or column of air that rotates at high speeds and extends downward from a cloud to the ground
Tornado
describing a climate that is very hot and humid; describing an area of Earth that is near the equator
Tropical
Tropical depression
a region of low pressure with counter-clockwise wind rotation that develops into a hurricane or tropical storm
Tundra
extremely cold climate located near the North and South Poles and on the tops of mountains; receives very little precipitation and has no trees
Typhoon
a hurricane or tropical storm originating in the Pacific Ocean
Waterspout
a funnel-shaped cloud that forms over water and pulls water upward
Weather
the properties of the atmosphere at a given time and location, including temperature, air movement and precipitation
