Earth Science and Meteorology Vocabulary

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts in atmospheric science, climate dynamics, and Earth systems.

What is an air mass?

A large body of air throughout which temperature and moisture content are relatively uniform.

What is the atmosphere?

The envelope of gases surrounding Earth, retained by the planet's gravity.

What is the carbon cycle?

The biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among Earth's biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.

What is climate?

The prevailing, long-term weather conditions characteristic of a specific region over an extended period of time.

What is climate change?

A significant, long-term alteration in global or regional climate patterns, typically driven by natural variability or human activities.

What is a cold front?

The boundary that forms where a cold air mass advances and displaces a warmer air mass.

What is a convection cycle?

A continuous circulating flow driven by temperature differences, in which warm, less dense fluid rises and cool, denser fluid sinks.

What is the coriolis effect?

The apparent deflection of moving objects, such as air or ocean currents, caused by Earth's rotation.

What is a greenhouse gas?

An atmospheric gas that absorbs and re-radiates thermal infrared energy, trapping heat within the planetary system.

What is the hydrosphere?

All the liquid water, frozen water, and water vapor found on, under, and over the surface of the Earth.

What is a microclimate?

The localized climate of a small, specific area that differs distinctly from the climate of the surrounding region.

What is a negative feedback loop?

A regulatory mechanism in which the output of a system dampens or counteracts an initial change, promoting stability.

What is the nitrogen cycle?

The biogeochemical process by which nitrogen moves through both living organisms and physical environments in various chemical forms.

What is an occluded front?

A composite weather front formed when a fast-moving cold front overtakes a warm front, forcing the warm air mass aloft.

What is the ozone layer?

A region within Earth's stratosphere containing a high concentration of ozone that shields the planet from harmful ultraviolet radiation.

What is photosynthesis?

The biological process by which green plants and other autotrophs use sunlight to synthesize glucose from carbon dioxide and water.

What are the polar easterlies?

Prevailing winds that blow cold, dry air from the east out of high-pressure zones near the North and South Poles toward lower latitudes.

What is a positive feedback loop?

A process in which an initial perturbation triggers effects that amplify and reinforce that change, driving the system further from equilibrium.

What is runoff?

Water originating from precipitation or melting snow that travels across the land surface rather than infiltrating the soil.

What is specific heat?

The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a given substance by one degree.

What is a stationary front?

A boundary between two opposing air masses where neither mass advances significantly against the other.

What are trade winds?

Steady, prevailing easterly winds that blow westward across the tropics toward the equator from subtropical high-pressure belts.

What is a warm front?

The boundary that forms where an advancing warm air mass replaces a retreating mass of colder air.

What is weather?

The day-to-day, short-term atmospheric conditions at a specific place and time, such as temperature, precipitation, and wind.

What are the westerlies?

Prevailing global winds in the middle latitudes that blow consistently from the west toward the east.