All About Rain Geography

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers the formation of clouds and rain, the three specific types of rainfall (convectional, relief, and frontal), and general weather-related terminology mentioned in the lecture.

Condensation

The process where warm air cools and water vapour turns into tiny droplets.

Cloud droplet

A tiny droplet formed when water vapour condenses into dust particles in the air; billions of these together form a cloud.

Convectional rainfall

Rain formed when the sun heats the ground, causing moisture to evaporate, rise, cool, and condense.

Relief rainfall

Rain formed when air is forced to rise over a hill or mountain.

Relief

A geographical term referring to the shape of the land.

Frontal rainfall

Rain that occurs when two air masses meet and the warm, less dense air is forced to rise over the cold, dense air.

Air mass

A large mass of air which moves over the Earth’s surface, with a temperature determined by its origin.

Front

The boundary where a warm air mass and a cold air mass meet but do not mix due to different densities.

Prevailing wind

The wind that brings warm, moist air from the ocean towards the land, common in relief rainfall.

Polar air mass

An air mass that originates from polar regions and brings cold air.

Density

The property that differs between air masses, causing warm air to be less dense and rise over colder, denser air.

Anemometer

A weather key term referring to an instrument used for measuring wind speed.

Barometer

A weather key term referring to an instrument used for measuring air pressure.

Precipitation

A general weather term for water falling from the sky, such as rain.

Condensation nuclei

Tiny dust particles in the air that water vapour condenses onto to form droplets.

Water vapour

Gas contained in warm air that rises and eventually condenses to form clouds.

Tropical Maritime

Identified on the air mass map as one of the masses affecting the UK, originating from warm oceanic regions.

West coast of the UK

The region where relief rainfall and frontal rainfall are very common due to hills and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean.

Thermometer

A weather key term for an instrument used to measure temperature.

Annual average rainfall

The measurement of rain over a year, which can be over $3000\,mm$ in highest rainfall areas of the UK.