Weather Terms Flashcards
Immediate conditions outside, such as sunny, sleet, snow, rain, etc.
Weather
Weather conditions tracked over time, to predict weather conditions in the future
Climate
Number that tracks the East-West location of a person based on their location from Greenwich England
Longitude
Number that tracks North-South based on location from the Equator
Latitude
Center horizontal line of the Earth
Equator
Heat transfer in water where warm water or gas rises and cold water or gas falls, vertically.
Convection
Heat transfer in water where heat is transferred vertically
Advection
The amount of light an object reflects
Albedo Effect
Something that will store a lot of heat
Heat Sink
Amoutn of heat required to heat something up
Heat Capacity
The air and layers surrounding the Earth
Atmosphere
The distance from Sea Level
Altitude
Systems that carry with them low pressure, usually colder.
Low Pressure Systems
Systems that carry with them high pressure, usually warmer.
High Pressure Systems
Tool that measures air pressure
Barometer
When air moves
Wind
The movement of air, in specific directions due to the Earth’s rotation.
Coriolis Effect
A current of wind the flows constantly and strongly in a specific direction.
Jet Stream
Easterly winds that flow from the poles of the Earth.
Polar Easterlies
Westerly winds that occur in the mid latitude region of the world.
Mid Latitude Westerlies
All the water on planet Earth
Hydrosphere
The way water is recycled on Earth
Water Cycle
Liquid to Gas
Evaporation
Gas to Solid
Sublimation
Solid to Gas
Deposition
Gas to Liquid
Condensation
Water seeming into the ground as ground water.
Infiltration
Water evaporating off plants and trees
Transpiration
Rain/Sleet/Snow or Hail
Precipitation
Clouds that are propelling upwards by convection currents
Convection Clouds
Clouds the form over mountains
Orographic Clouds
Low level clouds
Fog
Used to describe medium level clouds
Alto
Used to describe high level clouds
Cirro-
Bad weather clouds
Nimbus
The movement of a group of weather
Weather Systems
Transfer of energy through the collision of particles
Conduction
Most Northern latitude (23.5N) to receive sun’s vertical rays on June 21st
Tropic of Cancer
Most Southern latitude (23.5S) to receive sun’s vertical rays on December 21st
Tropic Of Capricorn
Most Northern latitude (66.5N) to receive sun’s rays on December 21st
Arctic Circle
Most Southern latitude (66.5S) to receive sun’s rays on June 21st
Antarctic Circle
Area between Arctic Circle Line and North Pole and the area between the Antarctic Circle line and the South pole
Polar Region
Area between circle lines and tropic lines
Mid-altitude Region
Area between Trpoic Lines
Tropical Regions
Energy through a vacuum and not a medium
Radiation
Complete set of radiation waves that can travel through empty space
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Atmospheric layer closest to the Earth’s surface
Troposphere
Far end of the first layer of the atmosphere
Tropopause
Second layer of the atmosphere 16-50km
Stratosphere
Third Layer of the atmosphere 50-80km
Mesosphere
Fourth Layer of the atmosphere 80-500km
Thermosphere (ionosphere)
Outer layer that meets up with space
Exosphere
Ozone thin layer of atmosphere used to absorb UV rays
Ozone
Air pressure that air particles exert as gravity pulls them toward earth
Atmospheric Pressure
Pressure gradients that can be shown on a map
Horizontal Pressure Gradient
Winds that blow in the same direction all the time
Prevailing Winds
Leading edge is called a front
Front
Clouds that form when two air masses of different temperatures meet
Frontal Clouds
Puffy clouds that are not blankets
Cumulus Clouds
Blanket clouds, not very puffy
Stratus Clouds
