Atmosphere and climate

Composition of the Atmosphere

The mixture of gases that make up the Earth's atmosphere, primarily nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, and water vapor.

Nitrogen

A gas that constitutes 78% of the Earth's atmosphere, essential for life but inert.

Oxygen

A gas that makes up 21% of the atmosphere, vital for respiration in most life forms.

Argon

An inert gas that comprises 0.93% of the atmosphere.

Water Vapor

The gaseous form of water present in the atmosphere, varying between 0% and 2% based on temperature and conditions.

Troposphere

The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, where weather occurs and temperature decreases with altitude.

Stratosphere

The layer above the troposphere, characterized by a temperature increase with altitude due to the ozone layer.

Mesosphere

The layer above the stratosphere, where temperatures decrease with altitude.

Thermosphere

A layer of the atmosphere above the mesosphere, where temperatures rise sharply with altitude.

Winds

Movement of air caused by differences in temperature and pressure.

Weather

Short-term atmospheric conditions in a specific area, including temperature, humidity, and precipitation.

Climate

The long-term average of weather patterns in a specific region.

Cumulonimbus Cloud

A dense, towering cloud associated with thunderstorms and severe weather.

Convection Currents

The movement of air or water due to temperature differences, resulting in rising warm air and sinking cooler air.

Coriolis Effect

The tendency of moving objects to be deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere due to Earth's rotation.

Trade Winds

The prevailing pattern of easterly winds found in the tropics, blowing from east to west.

ITCZ (Intertropical Convergence Zone)

A region near the equator where trade winds meet, often resulting in heavy rainfall.

Ocean Currents

Large-scale movements of seawater, influenced by wind, temperature, salinity, and the Coriolis effect.

Thermohaline Circulation

A global ocean conveyor belt driven by differences in water density, controlled by temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline).

Albedo

The reflectivity of a surface, indicating how much solar energy is reflected back into space.

Altitude

The height of an object or point in relation to sea level or ground level.

Rain Shadow Effect

A weather phenomenon where one side of a mountain range receives a significant amount of rain while the opposite side remains dry.

El Niño

A climate pattern characterized by warming ocean temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific, impacting global weather.

La Niña

A climate pattern characterized by cooler ocean temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific, often causing different weather patterns than El Niño.

Hadley Cells

Large convection cells in the atmosphere, located between the equator and 30 degrees latitude.

Ferrel Cells

Atmospheric circulation cells located between Hadley Cells and Polar Cells, influenced by the other two.

Polar Cells

Circulation cells located at the poles, where cold air sinks and moves toward the equator.

Dry Air

Air with a low moisture content, often prevalent in desert regions.

Humid Air

Air that contains a high amount of water vapor.

Saturation Point

The maximum amount of water vapor that air can hold at a given temperature.

Upwelling

The process where deep, cold, nutrient-rich water rises to the surface, enhancing marine productivity.

Precipitation

Any form of water, liquid or solid, that falls from the atmosphere, including rain, snow, sleet, and hail.

Temperature Inversion

A meteorological phenomenon where the air temperature increases with altitude, trapping pollutants near the Earth’s surface.

Polar Stratospheric Clouds

Clouds that form in the stratosphere at high latitudes during winter, playing a role in ozone depletion.

Cumulus Clouds

Fluffy, white clouds, typically indicating fair weather.

Cirrus Clouds

Thin, wispy clouds high in the atmosphere, often indicating an approaching storm.

Stratocumulus Clouds

Low, lumpy clouds that cover the sky and are often gray or white.

Noctilucent Clouds

Night-shining clouds found in the upper atmosphere, visible at twilight.

Weather Balloon

A balloon used to carry instruments aloft to gather data on atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity.

Meteor

A small body from space that enters the Earth's atmosphere and produces a visible streak of light; often referred to as a shooting star.

Sprites

Transient luminous events that occur high above thunderstorm clouds, appearing as red or blue flashes.

Sounding Rocket

A rocket used to gather data from the atmosphere at high altitudes.

Mount Everest

The highest mountain on Earth, located in the Himalayas.

Ocean Basin

The large, bowl-shaped areas of the Earth's surface that are below sea level, containing oceans.

Biosphere

The global sum of all ecosystems, where life exists on Earth.

Global Warming

The long-term rise in the average temperature of the Earth's climate system.

Hydrosphere

The part of Earth that is liquid water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and groundwater.

Cryosphere

The frozen water part of the Earth system, including glaciers, ice caps, and sea ice.

Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions

The exchanges of energy, moisture, and carbon dioxide between the biosphere and the atmosphere.

Greenhouse Gases

Gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide that trap heat in the atmosphere.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants and some organisms use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.

Carbon Cycle

The series of processes by which carbon compounds move through the atmosphere, biosphere, oceans, and lithosphere.

Nitrogen Cycle

The series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment and in living organisms.

Evapotranspiration

The sum of evaporation from the land surface plus transpiration from plants.

Storm Surge

An abnormal rise in sea level during a storm, attributed to the wind and atmospheric pressure.

Meteorological Satellite

A satellite used to observe and forecast weather and climate conditions.

Tropical Cyclone

A storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, strong winds, and heavy rain, known as hurricanes in the Atlantic.

Air Mass

A large body of air that has uniform temperature and humidity characteristics.

Jet Stream

Fast flowing, narrow air currents in the atmosphere located near the altitudes of the tropopause, affecting weather patterns.

Climatology

The scientific study of climate, its variations, and its effects.

Land Breeze

A breeze that blows from the land to the sea due to differential cooling of land and water.

Sea Breeze

A breeze that blows from the sea to the land due to differential heating of land and water.

Tsunami

A series of ocean waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, often due to earthquakes.

Isobars

Lines on a weather map connecting points of equal atmospheric pressure.

Dew Point

The temperature at which air becomes saturated with moisture and water vapor begins to condense.

Radiation

The transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves; a key process in the Earth's energy balance.

Thermal Expansion

The increase in volume of water as it warms, contributing to sea level rise.

Flooding

An overflow of water onto land that is usually dry, often caused by excessive rainfall or storm surges.

Weather Front

A boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, often associated with stormy weather.