Weather and Atmosphere Review

Flashcards for reviewing key vocabulary related to weather phenomena, atmospheric science, and storm chasing.

Gravity

One of the four driving forces of the atmosphere.

Pressure Gradient

One of the four driving forces of the atmosphere.

Coriolis Force

One of the four driving forces of the atmosphere.

Friction Force

One of the four driving forces of the atmosphere.

Radiation fog

One of the seven types of fog.

Advection fog

One of the seven types of fog.

Upslope fog

One of the seven types of fog.

Evaporation fog

One of the seven types of fog.

Valley fog

One of the seven types of fog.

Freezing fog

One of the seven types of fog.

Ice fog

One of the seven types of fog.

El Niño

A warming of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific that disrupts normal weather patterns.

La Niña

A cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific that disrupts normal weather patterns.

Tropical disturbance

One of the four stages of hurricane progression.

Tropical depression

One of the four stages of hurricane progression.

Tropical storm

One of the four stages of hurricane progression.

Hurricane

One of the four stages of hurricane progression.

Eye

Calm center of a hurricane.

Eyewall

Most intense winds surrounding the eye of a hurricane.

Spiral bands

Bands of rain and wind spiraling out from a hurricane.

Rope tornado

Narrow, thin, and less destructive tornado.

Wedge tornado

Wide, can be over a kilometer across, often very destructive tornado.

Troposphere

One of the five layers of the atmosphere; the layer we live in.

Stratosphere

One of the five layers of the atmosphere; contains the ozone layer.

Mesosphere

One of the five layers of the atmosphere; burns up meteors.

Thermosphere

One of the five layers of the atmosphere.

Exosphere

One of the five layers of the atmosphere; the layer closest to outer space.

Atmospheric Albedo

The reflectivity of Earth’s surface and atmosphere.

Aerosols

Tiny particles or droplets suspended in the atmosphere that can affect weather and climate.

Doppler Radar

A radar system used to detect precipitation and measure wind speed.

Degree of Damage

An assessment of destruction caused by natural disasters.

Saffir-Simpson Scale

A scale that classifies hurricanes into five categories based on wind speed and damage potential.

Dust Storm

A weather event where strong winds lift large amounts of dust into the atmosphere, reducing visibility and air quality.

Dirty Thirties

A nickname for the 1930s, marked by economic hardship and environmental disaster due to the Dust Bowl.

Triboelectric Series

A list of materials ranked by their tendency to gain or lose electrons through friction.

Electrostatic Induction

The redistribution of electrical charge in an object, caused by the influence of nearby charges without direct contact.

Pressure Gradient

The rate of change in atmospheric pressure between two places.

Prevailing Wind

Winds that blow consistently in a particular direction over a region.

Meteorology

The scientific study of weather and the atmosphere.

Barometers

Instruments used to measure air pressure.

Cold Front

A front where cold air displaces warm air; often brings thunderstorms and cooler weather.

Warm Front

A front where warm air replaces cold air; typically brings light rain followed by warm temperatures.

Typhoon

The name for a hurricane in the Northwest Pacific region.

Cyclone

A general term for a system of winds rotating inward to an area of low pressure.

Tornado

A violent, rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground.

The Dust Bowl

A period in the 1930s when severe dust storms and drought struck the U.S. Great Plains, worsening the Great Depression.