Meteorology Test Vocab

Question 1

atmosphere

Answer 1

an envelope of gases that surrounds a planet

Question 2

greenhouse effect

Answer 2

helps trap heat close to the Earth’s surface

Question 3

greenhouse gas

Answer 3

CO2 - carbon dioxide

Question 4

ozone

Answer 4

a form of oxygen that is made up of 3 oxygen atoms chemically bonded together (O3), is in the stratosphere

Question 5

convection

Answer 5

the transfer of energy by the flow of a heated substance

Question 6

conduction

Answer 6

the transfer of energy that occurs when molecules collide

Question 7

radiation

Answer 7

the transfer of energy through space by visible light, UV radition, and other forms of electromagnetic waves

Question 8

temperature

Answer 8

the measurement of how rapidly or slowly molecules move around

Question 9

heat

Answer 9

the transfer of energy that occurs because of a difference in temperature between substances

Question 10

air pressure

Answer 10

the downward push of the atmosphere due to gravity pulling air toward Earth’s surface

Question 11

density

Answer 11

equals mass/volume and is proportional to the number of particles of air occuping a particular space

Question 12

environmental laspe rate

Answer 12

the rate at which temperature changes in the vertical and troposhere

Question 13

dry adiabatic lapse rate

Answer 13

the lapse rate that occurs in a vertically moving air parcel in which no condensation is occuring

Question 14

wet adiabatic lapse rate

Answer 14

the lapse rate that occurs in a vertically moving air parcel in which condensation is occuring

Question 15

biogeochemical cycle

Answer 15

the cycle describing everything living in our planet connecting through a chemical cycle

Question 16

water cycle

Answer 16

the cycle that the water on Earth continuously goes through

Question 17

carbon cycle

Answer 17

the cycle that the carbon of Earth continously goes through

Question 18

nitrogen cycle

Answer 18

the cycle that the nitrogen on Earth continously goes through

Question 19

air mass

Answer 19

a large body of air that takes on the characteristics of an area over which is forms

Question 20

source region

Answer 20

the region over which an air mass forms

Question 21

pressure systems

Answer 21

there is a high pressure system and low pressure system

Question 22

coriolis effect

Answer 22

the effect that causes objects in our atmosphere to appear moving in a curved direction because of Earth’s rotation

Question 23

trade winds

Answer 23

occur at 30* North and South, air sinks, warms, and moves towards the equator in a westerly direction

Question 24

intertropical convergence zone

Answer 24

near the equator, trade winds from both hemispheres move together in the same direction, creates a region of low pressure, and is characterized by a band of cloudiness and occasional showers

Question 25

prevailing westerlies

Answer 25

flow between 30* and 60* North and South latitudes, circulation pattern is opposite than the trade winds, they generally move toward the poles in an easterly direction

Question 26

polar easterlies

Answer 26

lie between the 60* latitude and the poles, blow in a westerly direction from the East

Question 27

jetstream

Answer 27

narrow bands of fast, high altitude, westerly winds, is caused by differences in temperature and pressure, there is large temperature gradient in upper-level aur results in strong westerly winds

Question 28

fronts

Answer 28

narrow region separating two air masses of different densities

Question 29

cold front

Answer 29

forms by fast moving cold air and runs into slow moving warm air, cold air sinks, warm air is pushed up, brings clouds, storms, and blizzards

Question 30

warm front

Answer 30

forms by warm air overtakes a slow moving cold air mass, brings clouds, precipitation, and fog followed by warm weather

Question 31

occluded front

Answer 31

forms by a warm air mass caught between 2 cold air masses, the 2 colder, denser, air masses push the warmer, less dense air mass up, brings precipitaion, after passes it brings cool, clear, weather

Question 32

stationary front

Answer 32

forms by cold and warm air masses meet, but they can’t move each other, brings extensive clouds, heavy precipitation, and fog

Question 33

weather station symbol

Answer 33

symbols used by meterologists to show various atmospheric and natural conditions about the weather on a given day and time

Question 34

isobars

Answer 34

shows areas of equal air pressure

Question 35

hurricane

Answer 35

powerful, swirling, storms that create strong winds, heavy rains, and storm surges

Question 36

hurricane eye

Answer 36

the center of the storm, the area is calm and can be 20-40 miles across

Question 37

eye wall

Answer 37

surrounds the eye, this is where the strongest winds and rain occur

Question 38

rain bands

Answer 38

sprial outward and can extend a few hundred miles and have dense thunderstorms

Question 39

Saffir-Simpson scale

Answer 39

a wind scale developed in 1971 by Herbert Saffir and Robert Simpson, used to classify hurricanes based off intensity of sustained winds

Question 40

climate

Answer 40

climate is the long term and lasting weather trends

Question 41

weather

Answer 41

different day-by-day conditions of a location, and over time makes up climate

Question 42

climograph

Answer 42

combines a line graph and a bar graph to show the climate of a location over 30 years, displays the months, temperature, and amount of precipitation