weather Flashcards
humidity
a quantity representing the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere or in a gas
cumulus cloud
puffy, dense clouds with sharp outlines and a flat base, often resembling cotton balls or heaps
stratus cloud
low-lying, flat, and featureless clouds that often appear as a gray or white blanket covering the sky, sometimes appearing as fog or mist near the ground
cirrus cloud
high-altitude, wispy clouds composed of ice crystals, often appearing as thin, feathery streaks or patches, and are typically associated with fair weather
cumulonimbus cloud
large, vertically developed clouds associated with thunderstorms, heavy precipitation, and potentially severe weather like hail, lightning, and tornadoes
condesation
water which collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it
evaporation
the process of turning from liquid into vapor
precipitation
any form of water, whether liquid or solid, that falls from the atmosphere to the Earth’s surface, including rain, snow, sleet, and hail
runoff
the flow of water, including rainwater and melted snow, over the land surface and into bodies of water, occurring when the ground cannot absorb all the precipitation
rain
liquid precipitation, specifically water droplets that fall from the sky when clouds become saturated
sleet
frozen raindrops or partially frozen snowflakes that fall as precipitation
snow
precipitation in the form of ice crystals
hail
a form of solid precipitation consisting of balls or irregular lumps of ice
polar- maritime airmass
a cold, moist air mass that forms over cold ocean waters in high latitudes, often bringing cool, cloudy, and damp weather
tropical- maritime airmass
a warm, moist air mass that forms over tropical and subtropical ocean waters, characterized by high humidity and potential for precipitation
polar-continental airmass
a cold, dry, and stable air mass that forms over high-latitude land areas like northern Canada and Siberia, characterized by low temperatures and little moisture
tropical- continental airmass
a warm, dry air mass that forms over large, hot, and dry land areas in subtropical and tropical latitudes
cold front
the boundary of an advancing mass of cold air, in particular the trailing edge of the warm sector of a low-pressure system
warm front
the boundary where a warm air mass displaces a cooler air mass, causing the warmer air to rise over the colder air, often leading to the formation of clouds and precipitation
thunderstorm
a storm with thunder and lightning and typically also heavy rain or hail
lightning
the occurrence of a natural electrical discharge of very short duration and high voltage between a cloud and the ground or within a cloud, accompanied by a bright flash and typically also thunder
thunder
a loud rumbling or crashing noise heard after a lightning flash due to the expansion of rapidly heated air
tornado
a mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud and advancing beneath a large storm system
hurricane
a storm with a violent wind, in particular a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean
