Weather And Climate Flashcards

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1
Q

Altitude

A

Height above sea level. Lose up to 1C per 100m gain

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2
Q

Anthropogenic climate change

A

Human induced climate change

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3
Q

Anticyclone

A

An area of high atmospheric pressure

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4
Q

Atmosphere

A

The envelope of air surrounding the Earth

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5
Q

Atmospheric pressure

A

Pressure exerted by the atmosphere on any surface by virtue of its weight

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6
Q

Climate

A

The long term average weather at a location; usually over a 30yr period

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7
Q

Cold front

A

Cold air catching up the arm air mass, forcing its way under

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8
Q

Continentality

A

Inland areas being away from the coast are drier

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9
Q

Continental air

A

Dry air from a continent

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10
Q

Conventional rainfall

A

Caused by rapidly rising air rising, cooling and condensing

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11
Q

Depression

A

Area of low atmospheric pressure

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12
Q

Evaporation

A

The physical process by which a liquid or solid substance is transformed to a gas

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13
Q

Eye

A

Centre of the hurricane where sinking air creates clear conditions

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14
Q

Eye wall

A

A high bank of cloud around the eye where wind speeds are high and heavy rain falls

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15
Q

Fetch

A

Distance waves travel before landfall

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16
Q

Fog

A

Water that has condensed close to the ground to form a dense low cloud with poor visibility

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17
Q

Front

A

The boundary between two air masses

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18
Q

Frontal rainfall

A

Warm air pushed over cold air forcing it to rise, cool and condense

19
Q

Global warming

A

An increase in average temperatures as a result of increased greenhouse gas emissions

20
Q

Greenhouse effect

A

The blanketing effect of the atmosphere which retains heat

21
Q

Greenhouse gases

A

Gases such as carbon dioxide and methane which effectively absorb heat

22
Q

Hurricane

A

Area of extreme low pressure. Also known as cyclones/typhoons/willy willies

23
Q

Insolation

A

Energy from the sun that heats the earth

24
Q

IPCC

A

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - the global authority on the latest climate change data and predictions

25
Q

Isobar

A

Line of equal pressure

26
Q

Kyoto Protocol

A

International Agreement in 1997 to get countries to reduce their emissions

27
Q

Maritime air

A

Air with lots of moisture from the oceans

28
Q

North Atlantic Drift

A

Ocean current, originating in the Gulf of Mexico that warms Northern Europe

29
Q

Occluded front

A

Where a cold front catches up with a warm front

30
Q

Okta

A

Measurement of cloud cover, measured in 1/8ths

31
Q

Polar air

A

Cold air from one of the poles

32
Q

Precipitation

A

All forms of water particles that reach the ground

33
Q

Prevailing wind

A

The direction from which the wind most frequently blows

34
Q

Rain shadow

A

Area in the lee of uplands where there is less rainfall

35
Q

Relief/orographic rainfall

A

Caused as air masses are forced over higher land

36
Q

Seasonality

A

Periodic fluctuations in an area’s climate

37
Q

South-West

A

The UK’s prevailing wind

38
Q

Track

A

The path or course of a hurricane

39
Q

Tropical air

A

Warm air from one of the tropics

40
Q

Warm front

A

Warm air catching up with cold air mass, and rising above it

41
Q

Warm sector

A

Area of warm air between warm front and cold front

42
Q

Weather

A

The conditions in the atmosphere at a given point in time

43
Q

Wind

A

Movements of wind caused by changes in temperature or pressure

44
Q

Air mass

A

A large body of air that has similar temperature, pressure and moisture