Introduction to Weather and Climate

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts, Earth spheres, geographic coordinates, and climate zones from the Introduction to Weather & Climate lecture.

Weather

Refers to the state of the atmosphere at a given time and place, which is constantly changing from hour to hour or day to day.

Climate

Weather conditions observed over longer periods (such as $30\,\text{years}$), encompassing averages, ranges, extremes, frequency, and variability over a larger area.

Elements

Quantities or properties that are measured regularly to express weather and climate, such as temperature, precipitation, wind speed, and cloud cover.

Atmosphere

The sphere of the Earth system consisting of all the gases surrounding the Earth.

Biosphere

The sphere of the Earth system defined as the zone on the Earth where life is found.

Lithosphere

The sphere of the Earth system defined as the outer inorganic shell of the Earth.

Hydrosphere

The sphere of the Earth system encompassing all the Earth's water in any phase.

Geographic Coordinate System

A system used for precisely locating places on the Earth, divided into two sets of circles known as parallels and meridians.

Parallels

Circles in the geographic coordinate system that run in an east-west direction, measure latitude north or south of the equator, and never meet.

Meridians

Circles in the geographic coordinate system that run in a north-south direction, measure longitude east or west of the Prime Meridian, and meet at the poles.

Latitude

The angular distance measured north or south from the equator, where one degree equals approximately $70\,\text{miles}$.

Longitude

The angular distance measured east or west from the Prime Meridian, with lines farthest apart at the equator and converging at the poles.

Prime Meridian

The line designated as 0^\n\circ longitude, which passes through Greenwich, England.

International Date Line

The line of longitude located at $180^\circ$.

Equator

The primary reference line of latitude located at $0^\circ$.

Tropic of Cancer

An important line of latitude located at $23.5^\circ\,\text{N}$.

Tropic of Capricorn

An important line of latitude located at $23.5^\circ\,\text{S}$.

Arctic Circle

An important line of latitude located at $66.5^\circ\,\text{N}$.

Antarctic Circle

An important line of latitude located at $66.5^\circ\,\text{S}$.

Tropics

The climate zone located between $23.5^\circ\,\text{N}$ and $23.5^\circ\,\text{S}$.