Unit 5 Lessons 1,2, and 3 vocab Flashcards
Water cycle
When water moves between Earth’s surface and the atmosphere through a process.
Evaporation
The change from a liquid to a gas.
Atmosphere
The mixture of gases that surrounds Earth.
Condensation
The change of a gas into a liquid.
Precipitation
Water that falls from clouds to Earth’s surface.
Ground water
Water that is stored under ground.
Runoff
Water that cannot soak into the ground and instead flows across Earth’s surface
Glacier
Is a slow moving mass of ice
Aquifer
A body of rock that stores ground water
Weather
The condition of the atmosphere at a given place or time
Humidity
It is an amount of water vapor in the air
Air pressure
The weight of the atmosphere pressing down on earth’s surface
Cumulus clouds
They are white and puffy and common on clear, sunny days. Under the right conditions they can turn into thunderstorm clouds
Cirrus clouds
Clouds that look like white streaks that are high and thin. Cirrus clouds signal cool, clear weather
Stratus clouds
Low and grey making the day dark and gloomy. These clouds can signal incoming rain or snow
Air mass
Is a large body of air with the same temperature and humidity throughout
Front
The boundary between 2 air masses
Wind
Air moves away from areas of higher pressure to areas of lower pressure similar to how water flows downhill.
Global winds
At the poles, the air is cold and has higher pressure. As a result air moves along earth’s surface from the poles toward the tropics. At the tropics, air warms, rises, and moves toward the poles. These winds, called global winds blow over large areas of Earth. They move large weather systems, such as hurricanes. (Page264)
Fog
A cloud that forms near the ground.
Air temperature
How warm or cool the air is around us.
