The basics of Meteorology Flashcards
short-term conditions of the atmosphere
Weather
average daily weather for an extended period of time
Climate
degree of hotness/coldness of the air
Air Temperature
force of the air above an area
Air Pressure
measure of the amount of water vapor in the air
Humidity
visible mass of tiny water droplets/and or ice crystals
Clouds
any form of water, liquid or solid, that falls from the clouds and reaches the ground
Precipitation
greatest distance one can see
Visibility
the horizontal movement of the air
Wind
dotted lines that parallel the equator
Parallels of latitude
atmospheric observation from satellites
Geostationary satellites
a great circle of the earth passing through the poles at any given point
Meridian
angular distance east or west on the earth’s surface from the prime meridian
Longitude
angular distance north or south on the earth’s surface from the equator of a point on the earth’s surface.
Latitude
region of the world typically described as being between 30deg and 50deg latitude
Middle latitudes
a cyclonic storm that most often forms along a front in middle and high latitudes
Extratropical Cyclone
a severe tropical cyclone having winds in excess of 64 knots
Hurricane
a local storm produced by cumulonimbus clouds
Thunderstorm
an intense, rotating column of air that protrudes from a cumulonimbus cloud.
Tornado
air in motion relative to the earth’s surface
Wind
the direction from which the wind is blowing.
Wind direction
the transition zone between 2 distinct air masses.
Front
the study of the atmosphere and atmospheric phenomena
Meteorology
common on days when we are forced to squint due to hazy skies
Headaches
can restrict visibility at airports
Heavy fog
the cooling effect of any combination of temperature and wind
Wind Chill Factor
warm dry wind on the eastern side of the rocky mountains
Chinook Wind
a flood that rises and falls quite rapidly
Flash floods
a severe localized downdraft that can be experienced beneath a severe thunderstorm.
Downburst
rate of change of wind speed or wind direction
Windshear
the prediction od weather through application of the principles of physics
Weather Forecasting
a clash of air masses
Fronts
digs in underneath a warm air mass
Cold Front
rises up above the cold air
Warm Front
measure of heat; average kinetic energy of molecules
Temperature
region where air has piled up
High Pressure
region where air has stretched out
Low Pressure
the ratio of amount of water vapor in air at current temp to max amount of vapor
Humidity
due to the differential heating of the earth’s surface
Winds
