GHHS - Meteorology

weather

general condition of atmosphere at a given time and place

climate

general weather conditions in an area over many MANY years

ozone

3 oxygen atoms bonded together in one molecule, when in stratosphere it acts to block ultraviolet (UV) radiation from reaching Earth (UV rays cause sunburn and skin cancer), when in troposphere it acts as a pollutant and causes breathing difficulties

atmospheric pressure

ratio of the weight of the air to the surface on which it presses

barometer

instrument used to measure air pressure

troposphere

layer of atmosphere closest to Earth, temperature decreases as you go higher, all weather occurs here

stratosphere

layer just above troposphere, contains concentration of ozone that protects against UV rays, temperature increases as you go higher

mesosphere

layer just above stratosphere, coldest layer of atmosphere, temperature decreases as you go higher

thermosphere

layer just above the mesosphere, temperature increases as you go higher, far reaches of this layer often referred to as the exosphere because beyond that is outer space

air pollution

any substance in our atmosphere that is deemed harmful

acid precipitation

precipitation with a lower than normal pH, formed when water vapor in atmosphere combines with gases (often from burning fossil fuels) to form acids

smog

acronym of SMoke + fOG, general term for air pollution that forms a brownish haze, typically over cities

radiation

all forms of energy that travel through space as waves

electromagnetic spectrum

all the types of energy that exist

albedo

ability of a surface to reflect solar radiation

greenhouse effect

process in which the atmosphere can trap heat (infrared rays) on Earth's surface

trade winds

belt of winds located above and below the equator between 0 and 30 degrees

doldrums

a zone of no wind located at the equator

horse latitudes

a zone of no wind located between the trade winds and the westerlies, both above and below the equator

easterlies

belt of winds located between 60 and 90 degrees N and S latitudes

westerlies

belt of winds located between 40 and 60 degrees N and S latitudes

jet stream

band of fast moving winds located in the upper troposphere (affects air travel)

land breeze

breeze at night that moves from land to sea

sea breeze

breeze during the day that moves from sea to land

valley breeze

breeze during the day that moves from the valley up the mountain

mountain breeze

breeze at night than moves down the mountain into the valley

sublimation

solid phase directly to a gaseous phase

deposition

gaseous phase directly to a solid phase (ex. frost)

humidity

measure of the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere

relative humidity

ratio of the actual humidity compared to what COULD be there if the air were saturated

psychrometer

instrument used to measure relative humidity

dew point

temperature to which air must be cooled to reach saturation (and water vapor condenses to a liquid - aka dew)

condensation nuclei

small bits of dust that allow water vapor to condense around them before they can fall as rain

adiabatic changes

changes in temperature that are NOT caused by the addition or subtraction of heat, caused by changes in air pressure

stratus clouds

sheetlike clouds

nimbostratus clouds

stratus clouds that are dark & stormy

cumulus clouds

puffy vertical clouds

cumulonimbus clouds

cumulus clouds that grow extremely tall and stormy (anvil shaped)

cirrus clouds

highest clouds, wispy and feathery

fog

cloud formed at the surface

precipation

any moisture that falls from the atmosphere to Earth's surface

coalescence

many small raindrops that come together to form a raindrop heavy enough to fall

supercooling

process where water droplets remain liquid even when temperature drops below the freezing point

rain gauge

instrument used to determine amount of rainfall in an area

air mass

large body of air with uniform temperature and moisture

front

boundary between two air masses

cold front

cold air mass overtakes a warm air mass

warm front

warm air mass overtakes a cold air mass

occluded front

fast moving cold front pushed a warm air mass up and off the ground

stationary front

cold and warm air mass meet but neither one is displaced

hurricane

severe tropical storm with winds greater than 120 km/hr

Saffir-Simpson Scale

scale used to measure hurricane strength, based on actual wind speed measured during the hurricane

thunderstorms

storm accompanied by thunder and lightning

tornado

whirling funnel-shaped storm, formed when thunderstorm meets high speed horizontal winds aloft which causes rotation

Enhanced Fujita Scale

scale used to measure strength of tornado, based on estimated wind speed after surveying the damage

anemometer

instrument that measures wind speed

wind vane

instrument that measures wind direction

isobars

lines drawn to connect all points of equal pressure (air pressure measured by a barometer)

El Nino

periodic warming of ocean currents that occurs in central Pacific Ocean and causes extreme weather on the western edges of North and South America

(aka ENSO)

microclimate

climate in a small area, often referred to for cities - which are warmer and rainier than surrounding areas

humid subtropical climate

climate found in Cary NC

biome

region of Earth designated by its unique climate and life forms

deserts

caused by extremely low rainfall, most located above and below the equator, can also be cold deserts, vegetation has small or no leaves and deep roots, animals are mostly nocturnal with thick skins

forests

divided into many types based on rainfall and temperature, vegetation is mainly trees, animal life varies widely based on the type of forest

grasslands

dominant vegetation is grasses, animal life is mostly grazing animals, located within all temperature ranges

tundra

coldest of all biomes, known for layer of permafrost, scarce vegetation - mostly lichens and moss, animals have developed ability to hibernate and extra layers of fat

permafrost

soil layer remains frozen all year round (permanently)

carbon dioxide

an odorless, colorless gas formed during respiration and by the decomposition of organic substances

Carbon Footprint

measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide

greenhouse gases

gases (such as carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor) in the atmosphere which are involved in the greenhouse effect

urban heat island

an area (usually a city) in which the air temperature is generally higher than the temperature of the surrounding rural areas

methane

a colorless, odorless, flammable hydrocarbon gas present in natural gas and formed by the decomposition of organic matter

ocean acidification

decreasing pH of ocean waters due to absorption of excess carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels

la Nina

cooler than normal ocean currents that occur between the el Nino events

polar climate

temperature is never higher than 10 degrees Celsius, influenced by polar air masses (ex. tundra, subarctic)

tropical climate

average monthly temperature of at least 18 degrees Celsius, influenced by tropical air masses (ex. tropical rainforest, tropical desert, tropical savanna)

middle latitudes climate

also known as temperate climate, no warmer than 18 degrees Celsius in coldest month, no colder than 10 degrees Celsius in the warmest month, influenced by both tropical and polar air masses

temperate climate

a climate that does not experience extremes in either temperature or precipitation, most often occurring at middle latitudes

air pressure

force exerted on an area by the weight of the air

anticyclone

circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere

conduction

when heat or electricity moves from one place to another, by direct contact

convection

transfer of heat through fluids (gases or liquids) from a warmer spot to a cooler spot

Coriolis Effect

deflection of objects or substances (such as air) moving along the surface of the Earth, rightward in the Northern Hemisphere and leftward in the Southern Hemisphere

Cyclone

a system of winds rotating inward to an area of low atmospheric pressure, with a counterclockwise (northern hemisphere) or clockwise (southern hemisphere) circulation; a depression

Dew

tiny drops of water that form on cool surfaces at night, when atmospheric vapor condenses

Frost

A deposit of tiny, white ice crystals on a surface. Frost forms through sublimation, when water vapor in the air condenses at a temperature below freezing.

Pressure gradient

differences in pressure in a certain area

Source region

an extensive region of the earth's surface where large masses of air having uniform temperature and humidity conditions characteristic of the region originate

Specific heat

the heat required to raise the temperature of the unit mass of a given substance by a given amount (usually one degree)

Station model

symbolic illustrations showing the weather occurring at a given reporting station. Meteorologists created the station model to fit a number of weather elements into a small space on weather maps

Storm track

the path followed by the center of a cyclonic storm

Temperature

A measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a sample of matter, expressed in terms of units or degrees designated on a standard scale (The degree of hotness or coldness of a body or environment.)

Temperature gradient

physical quantity that describes in which direction and at what rate the temperature changes the most rapidly around a particular location

wind

A current of air, especially a natural one that moves along or parallel to the ground, moving from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure