Vocab Terms Flashcards
The mass of water vapor in each cubic unit of air
Absolute Humidity
Instrument that measures wind speed
Anemometer
A region of relatively high atmospheric pressure
Anticyclone
An instrument used to measure air pressure
Barometer
The change in state from a liquid to a gas occurs at the boiling point
Boiling
A large body of tiny water droplets
Cloud
The process by which a substance changes from a gas to a liquid
Condensation
Tiny particles or solid suspended in the air on which water condenses to form a cloud
Condensation Nuclei
Heated molecules pass their vibrational energy to nearby molecules
Conduction
A form of heat flow that moves matter and energy as density currents
Convection
The act of moving together
Convergence
The apparent curve to the right of winds and ocean currents in the Northern hemisphere
Coriolis effect
A region of relatively low atmospheric pressure
Cyclone
Liquid water that forms by condensation on cool surfaces
Dew
The temperature at which air is saturated with water vapor
Dewpoint
The act of moving apart
Divergence
Scale that shows the entire range of light that exists in the universe
Electromagnetic Spectrum
The periodic replacement of cold water with warm water along the western coast of South America
El Nino
Change in state from a liquid to a gas
Evaporation
Very low clouds that reach the ground
Fog
The changing in state from a liquid to a solid
Freezing
Winds flow outward from the higher pressure areas near their centers towards the lower pressure areas
High pressure system
The water vapor content of the air
Humidity
Currents of air that influence the path of weather systems
Jet stream
Light winds that blow from the land toward the water
Land breeze
Winds blow towards the low pressure, and the ai rises in the atmosphere where they meet and form clouds
Low pressure system
The change in state from solid to liquid
Melting
The middle layer of the atmosphere
Mesosphere
A scientist who studies the weather
Meteorologist
The study of earth’s atmosphere and how it changes
Meteorology
As air ascends the mountain, the air cools as it rises the water vapor condenses and clouds form
Orographic lifting
Layer in the stratosphere that protects life on earth from the sun’s UV radiation
Ozone
The states of matter, solid, liquid, and gas
Phases of matter
Water that falls to earth as rain, sleet, snow and hail
Precipitation
Prevailing winds from the west toward the east in the middle latitude between 30 and 60 degrees latitude
Prevailing westerlies
The most common wind speed and direction at a particular location
Prevailing winds
The transfer of energy in the form of radioactive waves
Radiation
Liquid precipitation that falls quickly
Rain
A comparison of the actual amount of water vapor in the air compared to the amount it could hold
Relative Humidity
Air that has as much moisture as it can hold
Saturated air
Light winds that blow from the water toward the land
Sea breeze
Instrument used to determine dewpoint and relative humidity
Sling psychrometer
The energy needed to change the temperature of a substance
Specific heat
The lay of the atmosphere directly above the troposphere
stratosphere
A measure of the average kinetic energy of the molecules in a substance
Temperature
An instrument used to measure temperature
Thermometer
The highest layer of earth’s atmosphere
Thermosphere
The lowest layer of earth’s atmosphere
Troposphere
The change in state from liquid to gas
Vaporization
The short term conditions in earth’s atmosphere
Weather
