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Meteorology > Terms > Flashcards

Terms Flashcards

1
Q

What is Acid Rain?

A

rain that is especially acidic as the result of water vapor condensing onto particles of sulfate or nitrogen oxide.

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2
Q

What is Adiabatic?

A

changes in temperature caused by the expansion (cooling) or compression (warming) of a body of air as it rises or descends in the atmosphere.

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3
Q

What is Advection?

A

the horizontal transport of air, moisture, vorticity or other atmospheric properties; commonly used in describing the transport of moisture and temperature.

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4
Q

What is Advection Fog?

A

a type of fog that results from the advection of moist air over a cold surface and the cooling of the air to its dew point that follows; this type of fog is most common in coastal regions.

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5
Q

What is AFOS?

A

the Automation of Field Operations and Services; AFOS is the computer system that links National Weather Service offices and other computer networks, such as the NOAA weather wire, to transmit weather information.

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6
Q

What is AGL?

A

above ground level.

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7
Q

What is Air?

A

the mixture of gases that make-up the earth’s atmosphere.

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8
Q

What is Air Mass?

A

a large body of air that has similar temperature and moisture characteristics.

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8
Q

What is Air Mass?

A

a large body of air that has similar temperature and moisture characteristics.

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9
Q

What is Albedo?

A

the reflectiveness of a surface given as either a percentage or a decimal.

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9
Q

What is Albedo?

A

the reflectiveness of a surface given as either a percentage or a decimal.

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10
Q

What is Anabatic?

A

wind flowing up an incline, such as up a hillside; upslope wind.

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10
Q

What is Anabatic?

A

wind flowing up an incline, such as up a hillside; upslope wind.

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11
Q

What is Anemometer?

A

an instrument used to measure wind speed.

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11
Q

What is Anemometer?

A

an instrument used to measure wind speed.

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12
Q

What isAngular Momentum?

A

the energy of motion of a spinning body or mass of air or water.

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12
Q

What isAngular Momentum?

A

the energy of motion of a spinning body or mass of air or water.

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13
Q

What is Angular Velocity?

A

the rate at which a spinning body rotates.

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13
Q

What is Angular Velocity?

A

the rate at which a spinning body rotates.

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14
Q

What is Anticyclone?

A

a body of air in which the atmospheric pressure is higher than the pressure in the surrounding air; a high or high pressure area.

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14
Q

What is Anticyclone?

A

a body of air in which the atmospheric pressure is higher than the pressure in the surrounding air; a high or high pressure area.

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15
Q

What is Anticyclonic?

A

describes the movement of air around a high pressure; and rotation about the local vertical oppostie the earth’s rotation.

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15
Q

What is Anticyclonic?

A

describes the movement of air around a high pressure; and rotation about the local vertical oppostie the earth’s rotation.

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16
Q

What is Arctic Air?

A

a mass of very cold, dry air that usually originates over the Arctic Ocean north of Canada and Alaska.

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16
Q

What is Arctic Air?

A

a mass of very cold, dry air that usually originates over the Arctic Ocean north of Canada and Alaska.

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17
Q

What is Arctic High?

A

a very cold high pressure that originates over the Arctic Ocean.

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17
Q

What is Arctic High?

A

a very cold high pressure that originates over the Arctic Ocean.

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18
Q

What is ASOS?

A

the Automated Surface Observation System; this system observes sky condition, weather, temperature, dew point, wind direction and speed, pressure and precipitation.

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18
Q

What is ASOS?

A

the Automated Surface Observation System; this system observes sky condition, weather, temperature, dew point, wind direction and speed, pressure and precipitation.

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19
Q

What is Atmosphere?

A

the mass of air surrounding the earth and bound to it more or less permanently by the earth’s gravitational attraction.

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19
Q

What is Atmosphere?

A

the mass of air surrounding the earth and bound to it more or less permanently by the earth’s gravitational attraction.

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20
Q

What is Avalanche?

A

a large mass of rapidly moving snow down a steep mountain slope.

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20
Q

What is Avalanche?

A

a large mass of rapidly moving snow down a steep mountain slope.

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21
Q

What is AWIPS?

A

the Advanced Weather Information Processing System; this new computer system integrates computer graphics, satellite and radar imagery. (This system is scheduled to be put in all National Weather Service offices by the end of the 1990s).

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21
Q

What is AWIPS?

A

the Advanced Weather Information Processing System; this new computer system integrates computer graphics, satellite and radar imagery. (This system is scheduled to be put in all National Weather Service offices by the end of the 1990s).

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22
Q

What is Backing?

A

relates to time trend and wind direction; backing winds trend counter-clockwise and are indicative of cold air advection.

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22
Q

What is Backing?

A

relates to time trend and wind direction; backing winds trend counter-clockwise and are indicative of cold air advection.

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23
Q

What is a Bar?

A

an obstacle formed at the shallow entrance at the mouth of a river or bay that empties into the ocean; when a swift ebb current and heavy seas rolling in from the Pacific meet, large breakers develop over the bar.

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23
Q

What is a Bar?

A

an obstacle formed at the shallow entrance at the mouth of a river or bay that empties into the ocean; when a swift ebb current and heavy seas rolling in from the Pacific meet, large breakers develop over the bar.

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24
Q

What is a Barometer?

A

an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure.

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24
Q

What is a Barometer?

A

an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure.

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25
Q

What is Beaufort Scale?

A

a scale that indicates the wind speed using the effect wind has on certain familiar objects.

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25
Q

What is Beaufort Scale?

A

a scale that indicates the wind speed using the effect wind has on certain familiar objects.

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26
Q

What is Black Ice?

A

thin, new ice that forms on fresh water or dew covered surfaces; it is common on roadways during the fall and early winter and appears “black” because of its transparency.

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26
Q

What is Black Ice?

A

thin, new ice that forms on fresh water or dew covered surfaces; it is common on roadways during the fall and early winter and appears “black” because of its transparency.

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27
Q

What is a Blizzard?

A

includes winter storm conditions of sustained winds greater than thirty-five mph that cause major blowing and drifting of snow, reducing visibility to less than one-quarter mile.

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27
Q

What is a Blizzard?

A

includes winter storm conditions of sustained winds greater than thirty-five mph that cause major blowing and drifting of snow, reducing visibility to less than one-quarter mile.

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28
Q

What is Blowing Dust?

A

dust that is raised by the wind to moderate heights above the ground to a degree that horizontal visibility decreases to less than seven miles.

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28
Q

What is Blowing Dust?

A

dust that is raised by the wind to moderate heights above the ground to a degree that horizontal visibility decreases to less than seven miles.

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29
Q

What is Blowing Snow?

A

wind blown snow that reduces horizontal visibility.

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29
Q

What is Blowing Snow?

A

wind blown snow that reduces horizontal visibility.

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30
Q

What is a Breaker?

A

a large sea surface wave that has become too steep and unstable; as the wave breaks a whitecap will form.

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30
Q

What is a Breaker?

A

a large sea surface wave that has become too steep and unstable; as the wave breaks a whitecap will form.

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31
Q

What are Broken Clouds?

A

opaque clouds that cover 6/10ths to 9/10ths of the sky.

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31
Q

What are Broken Clouds?

A

opaque clouds that cover 6/10ths to 9/10ths of the sky.

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32
Q

What is a Calm?

A

the absence of apparent motion in the air.

32
Q

What is a Calm?

A

the absence of apparent motion in the air.

33
Q

What is a Ceiling?

A

the height of the lowest layer of broken and overcast clouds.

33
Q

What is a Ceiling?

A

the height of the lowest layer of broken and overcast clouds.

34
Q

What is Celsius?

A

a temperature scale in which zero is the freezing point of water and one hundred is the boiling point.

34
Q

What is Celsius?

A

a temperature scale in which zero is the freezing point of water and one hundred is the boiling point.

35
Q

What is a Chinook?

A

a strong downslope wind that causes the air to warm rapidly as a result of compressive heating; called a Foehn wind in Europe.

35
Q

What is a Chinook?

A

a strong downslope wind that causes the air to warm rapidly as a result of compressive heating; called a Foehn wind in Europe.

36
Q

What is Clear?

A

the appearance of the sky when it is without clouds, or less than 1/10th of the sky is covered by clouds.

36
Q

What is Clear?

A

the appearance of the sky when it is without clouds, or less than 1/10th of the sky is covered by clouds.

37
Q

What is Climatology?

A

the scientific study of climate.

37
Q

What is Climatology?

A

the scientific study of climate.

38
Q

What is Cloud Condensation Nuclei ?

A

small particles in the air on which water vapor condenses and forms cloud droplets.

38
Q

What is Cloud Condensation Nuclei ?

A

small particles in the air on which water vapor condenses and forms cloud droplets.

39
Q

What is Cloudy?

A

the state of the sky when 7/10ths or more of the sky is covered by clouds.

39
Q

What is Cloudy?

A

the state of the sky when 7/10ths or more of the sky is covered by clouds.

40
Q

What is Coastal Flooding?

A

the submersion of land areas along the ocean coast and other inland waters caused by sea water over and above normal tide action.

40
Q

What is Coastal Flooding?

A

the submersion of land areas along the ocean coast and other inland waters caused by sea water over and above normal tide action.

41
Q

What are Coastal Waters?

A

include the area from a line approximating the mean high water along the mainland or island as far out as sixty nautical miles including the bays, harbors and sounds.

41
Q

What are Coastal Waters?

A

include the area from a line approximating the mean high water along the mainland or island as far out as sixty nautical miles including the bays, harbors and sounds.

42
Q

What is a Cold Front?

A

the leading edge of a cold air mass as it moves toward warmer air; its movement is characterized by a drop in temperature and humidity after the front passes.

42
Q

What is a Cold Front?

A

the leading edge of a cold air mass as it moves toward warmer air; its movement is characterized by a drop in temperature and humidity after the front passes.

43
Q

What is Cold Low?

A

a low pressure system with cold air mass from near the surface to all vertical levels (also called a cold core low).

43
Q

What is Cold Low?

A

a low pressure system with cold air mass from near the surface to all vertical levels (also called a cold core low).

44
Q

What are Combined Seas?

A

the interaction of wind waves and swell; the combined seas height is equal to the square root of the sum of the squares of the wind waves and swell.

44
Q

What are Combined Seas?

A

the interaction of wind waves and swell; the combined seas height is equal to the square root of the sum of the squares of the wind waves and swell.

45
Q

What is Condensation?

A

the occurrence of vapor transforming into a liquid.

45
Q

What is Condensation?

A

the occurrence of vapor transforming into a liquid.

46
Q

What is Conduction?

A

the transfer of heat between bodies that are in contact.

46
Q

What is Conduction?

A

the transfer of heat between bodies that are in contact.

47
Q

What is Convection?

A

the transfer of heat within a gas or liquid by their movement.

47
Q

What is Convection?

A

the transfer of heat within a gas or liquid by their movement.

48
Q

What is a Corona?

A

a disk of light surrounding the sun or moon; this is a result of the diffraction of light by small water droplets.

48
Q

What is a Corona?

A

a disk of light surrounding the sun or moon; this is a result of the diffraction of light by small water droplets.

49
Q

What is a Cyclone?

A

a body of air in which the pressure is lower than that of the surrounding air; a low or low pressure area.

49
Q

What is a Cyclone?

A

a body of air in which the pressure is lower than that of the surrounding air; a low or low pressure area.

50
Q

What is a Degree Day?

A

a measure of the departure of the daily mean temperature from the normal daily temperature; heating and cooling Degree Days are the departure of the daily mean temperature from sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit.

50
Q

What is a Degree Day?

A

a measure of the departure of the daily mean temperature from the normal daily temperature; heating and cooling Degree Days are the departure of the daily mean temperature from sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit.

51
Q

What is Dense Fog?

A

a fog in which the visibility is less than one-quarter mile.

51
Q

What is Dense Fog?

A

a fog in which the visibility is less than one-quarter mile.

52
Q

What is Depression?

A

a region of low atmospheric pressure that is usually accompanied by low clouds and precipitation.

52
Q

What is Depression?

A

a region of low atmospheric pressure that is usually accompanied by low clouds and precipitation.

53
Q

What is Dew?

A

water drops on an object at or near the ground formed from condensation of water vapor from the surrounding air.

53
Q

What is Dew?

A

water drops on an object at or near the ground formed from condensation of water vapor from the surrounding air.

54
Q

What is Dew Point?

A

the temperature to which a certain amount of air must be cooled in order for saturation to occur (a cloud or fog to form); the drier the air the lower the dew point and the more air is needed to be cooled for a cloud or fog to form.

54
Q

What is Dew Point?

A

the temperature to which a certain amount of air must be cooled in order for saturation to occur (a cloud or fog to form); the drier the air the lower the dew point and the more air is needed to be cooled for a cloud or fog to form.

55
Q

What is a Disturbance?

A

a disruption of the atmosphere that usually refers to a low pressure area, cool air and inclement weather.

55
Q

What is a Disturbance?

A

a disruption of the atmosphere that usually refers to a low pressure area, cool air and inclement weather.

56
Q

What is Divergence?

A

refers to the spreading out of winds.

56
Q

What is Divergence?

A

refers to the spreading out of winds.

57
Q

What is Doldrums?

A

the regions on either side of the equator where air pressure is low and winds are light.

57
Q

What is Doldrums?

A

the regions on either side of the equator where air pressure is low and winds are light.

58
Q

What is Doppler Radar?

A

radar that determines the intensity of rainfall and velocities of water and air particles; the National Weather Service uses a type of Doppler Radar called the WSR-88D, or NEXRAD; velocities of detected targets are determined by Doppler shift in frequency.

58
Q

What is Doppler Radar?

A

radar that determines the intensity of rainfall and velocities of water and air particles; the National Weather Service uses a type of Doppler Radar called the WSR-88D, or NEXRAD; velocities of detected targets are determined by Doppler shift in frequency.

59
Q

What is Downburst?

A

a vertical or nearly vertical downward burst of strong winds at ground level, usually associated with a thunderstorm.

59
Q

What is Downburst?

A

a vertical or nearly vertical downward burst of strong winds at ground level, usually associated with a thunderstorm.

60
Q

What is Drizzle?

A

a form of precipitation that consists of water droplets less than .5mm.

60
Q

What is Drizzle?

A

a form of precipitation that consists of water droplets less than .5mm.

61
Q

What is a Dust Devil?

A

a rapidly rotating column of air carrying dust, leaves and other light-weight material; dust devils usually develop during hot, sunny days over dry and dusty or sandy areas.

61
Q

What is a Dust Devil?

A

a rapidly rotating column of air carrying dust, leaves and other light-weight material; dust devils usually develop during hot, sunny days over dry and dusty or sandy areas.

62
Q

What is a Dust Storm?

A

an area where high surface winds have picked up loose dust, reducing visibility to less than one-half mile.

62
Q

What is a Dust Storm?

A

an area where high surface winds have picked up loose dust, reducing visibility to less than one-half mile.

63
Q

What is Ebb Current?

A

the movement of a tidal current away form the coast or down an estuary.

64
Q

What is El Nino?

A

a great warming of the equatorial waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean; El Nino events occur every three to seven years and are related to shifts in global weather patterns.

65
Q

What is Evaporation?

A

the process of a liquid changing into a vapor or gas.

66
Q

What is Extended Outlook?

A

a basic forecast of general weather conditions three to five days in the future.

67
Q

What is theFAA?

A

the Federal Aviation Administration.

68
Q

What is Fahrenheit?

A

the standard scale used to measure temperature in the United States; in which the freezing point of water is thirty-two degrees and the boiling point is two hundred and twelve degrees.

69
Q

What is Fair?

A

describes weather in which there is less than 4/10ths of opaque cloud cover and no precipitation; and there is no extreme visibility, wind or temperature conditions.

70
Q

What is Fall Wind?

A

a strong, cold, downslope wind.

71
Q

What is Fathom?

A

the common unit used to measure depth in the ocean; it is equivalent ot six feet.

72
Q

What is Fetch?

A

the area in which waves are formed by a wind with an approximately constant speed and direction.

73
Q

What is Foehn Wind?

A

European term for Chinook Wind; or warm, downslope wind.

74
Q

What is a Flood?

A

a condition that occurs when water overflows the natural or artificial confines of a stream or river; the water also may accumulate by drainage over low-lying areas.

75
Q

What is Fog?

A

water that has condensed close to ground level, producing a cloud of very small droplets that reduces visibility to less than one km (three thousand and three hundred feet).

76
Q

What is Fogbow?

A

a rainbow that has a white band that appears in fog, and is fringed with red on the outside and blue on the inside.

77
Q

What is Freezing Level?

A

the altitude in the atmosphere at which the temperature drops to thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit.

78
Q

What is Freezing Rain or Drizzle?

A

is precipitation that falls in liquid form but freezes upon contact with cold objects.

79
Q

What is Freshet?

A

the annual spring rise of streams in cold climates as a result of snow melt; freshet also refers to a flood caused by rain or melting snow.

80
Q

What is Frog Storm?

A

the first bad weather in spring after a warm period.

81
Q

What is a Front?

A

the boundary or transition zone of two air masses; if cold air advances and replaces warmer air the front is a cold front, and if warm air advances and replaces cooler air the front is a warm front.

82
Q

What is Frost?

A

the formation of thin ice crystals on the ground or other surfaces; frost develops under conditions similar to those of dew, except in temperature of the earth’s surface and earthbound objects fall below thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit.

83
Q

What is Funnel Cloud?

A

a funnel shaped cloud that extends from a cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud; this cloud is related to a rotating column of air that is not in contact with the ground.

Meteorology (3 decks)

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