Weather Vocab

Question 1

Atmosphere

Answer 1

the envelope of air surrounding the Earth and bound to it by gravity

Question 2

Air pressure

Answer 2

the force of air on a surface

Question 3

Barometer

Answer 3

an instrument that measures air pressure

Question 4

Air mass

Answer 4

a large body of air that is similar in temperature, humidity and air pressure throughout

Question 5

Climate

Answer 5

long-term (50 year) weather averages

Question 6

Clouds

Answer 6

• a visible collection of tiny water droplets or, at colder temperatures, ice crystals floating in the air above the surface
• many different shapes and sizes
• clouds can form at ground level (fog), at great heights in the atmosphere, and everywhere in between

Question 7

Cold front

Answer 7

• the boundary between an advancing mass of relatively cold air and a mass of warmer air
• the denser cold air moves below the warm air and pushes it up

Question 8

High pressure system

Answer 8

a region in which the atmospheric pressure is higher than in the surrounding areas

Question 9

Knot

Answer 9

a unit of speed equal to 1.151 miles per hour

Question 10

Low-pressure system

Answer 10

a region in which the atmospheric pressure is lower than in the surrounding areas

Question 11

precipitation

Answer 11

water that falls to the Earth’s surface as either rain, sleet, snow, hail and mist

Question 12

seasonality

Answer 12

periodic fluctuations in the climate related to seasons of the year e.g. wet winters, drier summers

Question 13

warm front

Answer 13

the boundary between an advancing mass of relatively warm air and a mass of cold air. the warm air moves above the cold air, rising up gradually

Question 14

weather

Answer 14

• the state of the atmosphere, mainly with respect to its effects upon life and human activities
• as distinguished from climate, weather consists of the short-term (minutes to about 15 days) variations of the atmosphere state

Question 15

humidity

Answer 15

water vapor content of the air