Topic 6 - Weather & Climate

precipitation

the falling of liquid or frozen water droplets from clouds

rain

liquid water that falls from the sky

hail

small, icy spheres that fall from the sky

weather

the properties of the atmosphere at a given time and location, including temperature, air movement and precipitation

climate

the average weather for long periods of time and in a specific region

latitude

distance north and south of the equator

equator

an imaginary line that divides Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres

humidity

the measure of how much water vapor is in the air

temperature

the measure of how hot or cold the air is outside

snow

form of precipitation when water vapor freezes into ice crystals and falls in white flakes

evaporation

the process in which matter changes from a liquid to a gas

condesation

the process by which a gas changes into a liquid

eleveation

the height of an area of land above sea level

runoff

the draining off of water

sleet

as the rain passes through cold layer of air and freezes into ice pellets

tropical zone

climate zone near equator characterized by warm temperatures

polar zone

climate zone characterized by very little precipitation and extremely cold

temperate zone

climate zone located between tropics and polar generally characterized by moderate temperature rather than extremely hot or cold temperatures

hemisphere

half of hte Earth (norther, southern, eastern, western)

water cycle

the continual movement of water between the land, the ocean and the air