weather and climate vocab

Question 1

air mass

Answer 1

large area of air that has uniform temperature, humidity, and pressure

Question 2

force a column of air applies on the air or a surface below it

Answer 2

air pressure

Question 3

albedo

Answer 3

measure of the sun’s reflectivity on Earth’s surfaces

Question 4

layer of gases surrounding the Earth

Answer 4

atmosphere

Question 5

climate

Answer 5

average weather conditions in a region over a long period of time

Question 6

Coriolis effect

Answer 6

movement of wind or currents in a curved path due to Earth’s rotation

Question 7

Smaller, temporary loops of swirling water that can travel long distances before dispensing

Answer 7

eddy

Question 8

front

Answer 8

boundary between two air masses

Question 9

a gas in the atmosphere that absorbs part of Earth’s outgoing Infrared radiation

Answer 9

greenhouse gas

Question 10

a large circular system of ocean currents

Answer 10

gyre

Question 11

humidity

Answer 11

amount of water vapor in the air

Question 12

system containing all solid and liquid water on Earth

Answer 12

hydrosphere

Question 13

jet stream

Answer 13

narrow bands of high speed winds high in the troposphere that move from west to east

Question 14

winds that blow during the day from sea to land. This is due to water having a specific heat capacity and it does not heat or cool quickly. High pressure then forms over water during day and blows toward the land

Answer 14

sea breeze

Question 15

local winds

Answer 15

winds that blow over short distances

Question 16

cold winds that blow from east to west near the North and South pole.

Answer 16

polar easterlies

Question 17

prevailing wind

Answer 17

distinct wind patterns caused by differences in pressure and the Coriolis effect

Question 18

winds that blow at night from land to sea.

This is due to the fact that land has low specific heat capacity and cools faster than water. This creates high pressure over land at night and thus wind

Answer 18

land breeze

Question 19

specific heat capacity

Answer 19

The amount of heat that must be added to a substance to increase the temp by 1 degree Celsius

Question 20

water that has bolwn outward from the center of a tropical cyclone or hurricane and creates an abnormal rise in ocean waters on the coast

Answer 20

storm surge

Question 21

surface current

Answer 21

currents near the surface of the ocean. Driven by wind, the Coriolis effect, and continental deflection

Question 22

steady winds that flow from east to west between 30 degrees north latitude and 30 degrees south latitude along the equator

Answer 22

trade winds

Question 23

tropical cyclone

Answer 23

a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical water

Question 24

tropical cyclone occurring in the Pacific Ocean. especially in the region of the Phillippines or the China Sea

Answer 24

typhoon

Question 25

weather

Answer 25

the short-term atmospheric conditions in a given place at a given time

Question 26

steady winds that flow from west to east in the middle latitudes (30-60 degrees) These impact weather in the U.S.

Answer 26

westerlies

Question 27

wind shear

Answer 27

large shift in wind speed and direction

Question 28

large area of air that has uniform temperature, humidity, and pressure

Answer 28

air mass

Question 29

air pressure

Answer 29

force a column of air applies on the air or a surface below it

Question 30

measure of the sun’s reflectivity on Earth’s surfaces

Answer 30

albedo

Question 31

atmosphere

Answer 31

layer of gases surrounding the Earth

Question 32

average weather conditions in a region over a long period of time

Answer 32

climate

Question 33

movement of wind or currents in a curved path due to Earth’s rotation

Answer 33

Coriolis effect

Question 34

eddy

Answer 34

Smaller, temporary loops of swirling water that can travel long distances before dispensing

Question 35

boundary between two air masses

Answer 35

front

Question 36

greenhouse gas

Answer 36

a gas in the atmosphere that absorbs part of Earth’s outgoing Infrared radiation

Question 37

gyre

Answer 37

a large circular system of ocean currents

Question 38

amount of water vapor in the air

Answer 38

humidity

Question 39

hydrosphere

Answer 39

system containing all solid and liquid water on Earth

Question 40

narrow bands of high speed winds high in the troposphere that move from west to east

Answer 40

jet stream

Question 41

sea breeze

Answer 41

winds that blow during the day from the sea to land. This is due to water having a specific heat capacity and it does not heat or cool quickly. High pressure then forms over water during day and blows toward the land

Question 42

winds that blow over short distances

Answer 42

local winds

Question 43

polar easterlies

Answer 43

cold winds that blow from east to west near the North and South pole.

Question 44

distinct wind patterns caused by differences in pressure and the Coriolis effect

Answer 44

prevailing wind

Question 45

land breeze

Answer 45

winds that blow at night from land to sea.

This is due to the fact that land has low specific heat capacity and cools faster than water. This creates high pressure over land at night and thus wind

Question 46

The amount of heat that must be added to a substance to increase the temp by 1 degree Celsius

Answer 46

specific heat capacity

Question 47

storm surge

Answer 47

water that has bolwn outward from the center of a tropical cyclone or hurricane and creates an abnormal rise in ocean waters on the coast

Question 48

currents near the surface of the ocean. Driven by wind, the Coriolis effect, and continental deflection

Answer 48

surface current

Question 49

trade winds

Answer 49

steady winds that flow from east to west between 30 degrees north latitude and 30 degrees south latitude along the equator

Question 50

a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical water

Answer 50

tropical cyclone

Question 51

typhoon

Answer 51

tropical cyclone occurring in the Pacific Ocean. especially in the region of the Phillippines or the China Sea

Question 52

the short-term atmospheric conditions in a given place at a given time

Answer 52

weather

Question 53

westerlies

Answer 53

steady winds that flow from west to east in the middle latitudes (30-60 degrees) These impact weather in the U.S.

Question 54

large shift in wind speed and direction

Answer 54

wind shear