9.3 Meteorology 3 - Bennett Earth Science

Wind Vane

measures wind direction

Anemometer

device used to measure wind speed

Barometer

device that measures air pressure

Air Pressure

The force on a given area due to the weight of air.

Psychrometer

measures amount of water vapor in the air (humidity)

Rain Gauge

measures precipitation

Radiosonde

package of weather instruments attached to a radio transmitter which is sent to high altitudes in a weather balloon

Radar

Tracks precipitation.

Satellite

Offers pictures of cloud patterns and storms.

Wind Chill temperature

The temperature that human skin feels due to heat loss caused by the combined effects of both cold and wind.

Climate

Describes the temperature and precipitation patterns of a region over time.

Weather

State of the atmosphere at a given time and place.

Isobar

A line on a weather map that joins places that have the same air pressure

Jet stream

A high-speed, high-altitude air stream blowing from west to east near the top of the troposphere.

Coriolis effect

The effect of Earth's rotation on the direction of winds and currents.

arctic air mass

A bitterly cold air mass that forms over the frozen Arctic Ocean.

continental air mass

A dry air mass that forms over land.

Maritime air mass

A humid air mass that forms over oceans

Polar air mass

A cold air mass that forms north of 50° north latitude and south of 50° south latitude.

Tropical air mass

A warm air mass that forms in the tropics and has low air pressure

Millibar

Metric unit of atmospheric pressure.

Pressure gradient

The amount of atmospheric pressure change occurring over a given distance; determines wind speed.

Wind

The horizontal movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of lower pressure.

Fujita scale

A scale that tells how severe a tornado is based on wind speed and the damage being caused.

Saffir-Simpson Scale

Classifies hurricanes according to wind speed, air pressure in the center, and potential for property damage.

Severe weather watch

An emergency alert that is issued when the weather conditions are such that a (tornado, flood, etc) is likely to develop.

Severe weather warning

An emergency alert that is issued when the weather conditions are such that a (tornado, flood, etc) have formed; we actually know it is happening.

Hurricane

A severe storm that develops over tropical oceans and whose strong winds of more than 120 km/h spiral in toward the intensely low-pressure storm center.

Thunderstorm

A brief, heavy storm that consists of rain, strong winds, lightning, and thunder.

Blizzard

A violent winter storm characterized by freezing temperatures, strong winds, and blowing snow.

Greenhouse gas

Gas absorbs heat and raises the temperature of the atmosphere

Climate change

A change in global or regional climate patterns. The current event is attributed to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.

Global warming

Continuing rise in the average temperature of Earth's climate system.

Carbon dioxide

Primary greenhouse gas responsible for raising the temperature of Earth's atmosphere. Produced by burning fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels

Coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are ancient remains of plants and animals.