Weather and Climate Flashcards
altitude
the elevation above sea level
anemometer
an instrument used to measure wind speed
atmospheric scientist
scientist who studies the atmosphere
humidity
the amount of water vapor in the air
front
a boundary where a mass of air meets another air mass of a different temperature
ocean currrent
regular movements of large amounts of water in the ocean
precipitation
the movement of water, in solid or liquid form, from the atmosphere back to the surface of the earth. Rain, sleet, snow, hail are examples.
prevailing wind
the most common wind direction for a region. On earth, the direction of the prevailing winds are related to the latitude of the region, the angular distance of a place north or south of the earth’s equator.
weather
the condition of the atmosphere, including temperature, precipitation, and cloud cover, in a particular time and place
climate
the average weather in a place over a long time, generally 30 year patterns
Latitude
a measure of the distance from the equator.
If the wind starts out over water,
the wind carries more water
If winds begin over land,
the air mass is dryer
Cool air holds less
moisture
A mountain is a barrier that pushes the air upward, and this causes the air to______.
cool
rain shadow effect
deserts often are found on the leeward side (the side away from the wind) of mountains
Warm ocean currents, like the Gulf Stream
move heat from near the equator to the colder north
Temperature
measured in either degrees Fahrenheit or degrees Celsius
slight breeze
wind that just makes the leaves rustle
gentle breeze
Wind that moves leaves and twigs
strong breeze
Wind that makes the branches sway
moderate gale
When whole trees move from wind
hurricane
a severe tropical storm that has winds exceeding 110 km per hour that rotate at a calm center
hydrologist
scientist who studies the distribution and movement of water
weather vane
measures wind direction
barometer
a tool that measures air pressure
high pressure system
essentially a clockwise flow of dry, sinking air that typically builds into a region behind a departing storm system
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 of an advancing mass of warm air, in particular the leading edge of the warm sector of a low-pressure system
stationary front
forms when a cold front or warm front stops moving. This happens when two masses of air are pushing against each other but neither is powerful enough to move the other
carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane
compounds that holds heat in our atmosphere
Humans burn a lot of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, for fuel and to generate electricity- This gives off a lot of ______________.
carbon dioxide
deforestation
As the world’s need for lumber increases, we continue to cut down more trees than we replace-
Melting ice caps
could cause rising sea levels and coastal flooding
Climatologists
scientists who develop databases with historical information about the Earth’s climate
models
used to predict the impact of global warming on the Earth
