A&O SCI Week 1 UCLA

Vocabulary flashcards based on key concepts from climate and weather.

Weather

The day-to-day state of the atmosphere, typically over a short period (less than 2 weeks).

Climate

The long-term average of weather patterns in a particular area over about 30 years.

Solar Energy Distribution

The Earth receives more solar energy at the equator because sunlight hits it more directly.

Main Components of the Climate System

Atmosphere, Vegetation, Ice, Land surface, Ocean.

External Forcing

Climate variations forced by phenomena outside the atmosphere, ocean, or land; examples include changes in plate tectonics, Earth's orbit, and the sun's strength.

Troposphere

The lowest region of the atmosphere where weather occurs.

Stratosphere

The layer of the atmosphere where the ozone layer is located.

Temperature

A measure of the internal heat energy of a substance.

Convection

The transfer of heat through the movement of fluids, where hot air rises and cold air sinks.

Coriolis Effect

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

Hadley Cell

A system of atmospheric circulation where warm air rises near the equator and sinks in the subtropics.