Vocab Flashcards
Air Pressure
the force exerted on a surface by the air above it as gravity pulls it to Earth
Tropical
Very hot and humid
Celsius
Different type of weather scale
Cumulus Cloud
that have flat bases and are often described as puffy, cotton-like, or fluffy in appearance
Cirrus
wispy clouds made of long strands of ice crystals that are described as feathery, hair-like, or layered in appearance
Thermometer
a device that measures temperature or a temperature gradient
Tropical depression
forms when a low pressure area is accompanied by thunderstorms that produce a circular wind flow with maximum sustained winds below 39 mph.
Ocean current
the continuous, predictable, directional movement of seawater driven by gravity, wind (Coriolis Effect), and water density
Dew Point
the temperature the air needs to be cooled to (at constant pressure) in order to achieve a relative humidity (RH) of 100%.
Hurricane
a tropical storm with winds that have reached a constant speed of 74 miles per hour or more
Desert
a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life
Typhoon
a tropical cyclone with the maximum wind of 34 knots or higher
Humidity
concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye
Forecast
a prophecy, estimate, or prediction of a future happening or condition.
Atmosphere
a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body.
Hail
a form of solid precipitation. It is distinct from ice pellets
Thunderstorm
a rain shower during which you hear thunder. Since thunder comes from lightning, all thunderstorms have lightning
Cloud
a mass of water drops or ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere
Precipitation
rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground
Drought
a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water.
Front
A boundary between two air masses
Meteorology
the branch of science concerned with the processes and phenomena of the atmosphere, especially as a means of forecasting the weather
Freezing point
the temperature at which a liquid turns into a solid when cooled
Tornado
a mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud and advancing beneath a large storm system.
Cumulonimbus cloud
is a dense, towering vertical cloud,[1] typically forming from water vapor condensing in the lower troposphere that builds upward carried by powerful buoyant air currents. Above the lower portions of the cumulonimbus the water vapor becomes ice crystals
Thunder
the sound caused by lightning
Weather
the state of the atmosphere at a place and time as regards heat, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc.
Waterspout
a whirling column of air and water mist
Barometric pressure
the pressure of the atmosphere
Funnel cloud
a funnel-shaped cloud that projects from the base of a thundercloud and that often precedes the formation of a tornado.
Climate
climate describes what the weather is like over a long period of time in a specific area
