Weather And Climate Flashcards
the force that air puts on an area
Air pressure
the layers of gases that surround a planet
Atmosphere
a tool used to measure air pressure
Barometer
the pressure (force per unit area) of the atmosphere against a surface
Barometric pressure
metric temperature scale
Celsius
the current or past long-term weather conditions characteristic of a region or the entire Earth.
Climate
a collection of water droplets or ice crystals in the atmosphere
Cloud
anvil-shaped cloud that is often involved in heavy or violent storms: Cumulonimbus clouds are also called thunderheads. (related words: cumulus, nimbus)
Cumulonimbus cloud
large, fluffy, white clouds, often seen in fair skies; can develop into cumulonimbus clouds
Cumulus cloud
the temperature at which water vapor in the air condenses into water
Dew point
a prolonged shortage of rainfall
Drought
the temperature at which a liquid turns into a solid
Freezing point
a storm with strong winds and rain that forms over tropical waters
Hurricane
in weather, the boundary between two masses of air with different properties
Front
a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud: Funnel clouds do not touch the ground
Funnel cloud
the slow warming of Earth’s atmosphere due to climatic change
Global warming
small, icy balls that fall from the sky
Hail
the measure of how much water vapor is in the air
Humidity
the study of patterns of weather
Meteorology
water that is released from clouds in the sky; includes rain, snow, sleet, hail, and freezing rain
Precipitation
a loud noise that happens when lightning heats the air and causes it to expand and contract quickly
Thunder
a weather system that produces heavy precipitation, winds, lightning, and thunder
Thunderstorm
a funnel-shaped cloud or column of air that rotates at high speeds and extends downward from a cloud to the ground
Tornado
a region of low pressure with counter-clockwise wind rotation that develops into a hurricane or tropical storm
Tropical depression
a hurricane or tropical storm originating in the Pacific Ocean
Typhoon
the properties of the atmosphere at a given time and location, including temperature, air movement and precipitation
Weather
