Meteorology - Atmospheric Structure

Jet Stream

A type of air current that forms high in the atmosphere. On average, they move at about 110 miles per hour. But dramatic temperature differences between the warm and cool air masses can cause them to move at much higher speeds — 250 miles per hour or faster.

Inversion

A layer in the atmosphere in which air temperature increases with height.

Transient Luminous Events

Are short-lived electrical-breakdown phenomena/electrically induced forms of luminous plasma that occur well above the altitudes of normal lightning and Cumulonimbus clouds.

Sprites

Are large-scale electric discharges that occur in the mesosphere, high above thunderstormclouds, or cumulonimbus, giving rise to a varied range of visual shapes flickering in the night sky. They are usually triggered by the discharges of positive lightning between an underlying thundercloud and the ground.

Elves

A family of short-lived electrical-breakdown phenomena that occur well above the altitudes of normal lightning and storm clouds.

Polar Mesospheric Clouds (Noctilucent Clouds)

They are tenuous cloud-like phenomena in the upper atmosphere of Earth. They are also the highest clouds in Earth's atmosphere, located in the mesosphere at altitudes of around 76 to 85 km (249,000 to 279,000 ft).

Polar Stratospheric Clouds (Nacreous Clouds)

Are clouds in the winter polar stratosphere at altitudes of 15,000–25,000 m (49,000–82,000 ft). They are best observed during civil twilight, when the Sun is between 1 and 6 degrees below the horizon, as well as in winter and in more northerly latitudes.

Sounding

Is a measurement of vertical distribution of physical properties of the atmospheric column such as pressure, temperature, wind speed and wind direction (thus deriving wind shear), liquid water content, ozone concentration, pollution, and other properties.

Troposphere

Is the lowest layer of the atmosphere of Earth. It contains 75% of the total mass of the planetary atmosphere and 99% of the total mass of water vapor and aerosols, and is where most weather phenomena occur.

Stratosphere

Is the second layer of the atmosphere of Earth, located above the troposphere and below the mesosphere.

Tropopause

Is the atmospheric boundary that demarcates the troposphere from the stratosphere, which are the lowest two of the five layers of the atmosphere of Earth.

Mesosphere

Is the third layer of the atmosphere, directly above the stratosphere and directly below the thermosphere. Here, temperature decreases as altitude increases.

Aurora Borealis

Also commonly known as the northern lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions. They can display dynamic patterns of brilliant lights that appear as curtains, rays, spirals, or dynamic flickers covering the entire sky.

Aurora Australis

Commonly known as the southern lights. They can display dynamic patterns of brilliant lights that appear as curtains, rays, spirals, or dynamic flickers covering the entire sky.

Surface Temperature

The temperature of the air near the surface of the Earth.

Lapse Rate

Is the rate at which an atmospheric variable, normally temperature in Earth's atmosphere, falls with altitude.

Thermosphere

Is the layer in the Earth's atmosphere directly above the mesosphere and below the exosphere. Within this layer of the atmosphere, ultraviolet radiation causes photoionization/photodissociation of molecules, creating ions; this layer of the atmosphere thus constitutes the larger part of the ionosphere.

Measurement

Detailing of air temperature, precipitation (rain and snow), and wind.

Unit (of Measurement)

Degrees Celsius (°C), millimeters (mm), and meters per second (m/s).