Weather and Climate - Video Notes (Vocabulary Flashcards)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture notes on weather, the atmosphere, and climate.

Weather

The condition of the atmosphere at a particular place and time.

Atmosphere

The gaseous envelope surrounding Earth, containing the air we breathe and multiple atmospheric layers.

Air temperature

The measure of heat in the atmosphere at a specific place.

Max temperature

The highest recorded temperature.

Min temperature

The lowest recorded temperature.

Normal range

The expected typical high and low temperatures.

Humidity

A measure of the amount of water vapor in the air.

Relative humidity

The actual amount of moisture in the air as a percentage of the maximum amount the air can hold.

Clouds

A visible mass of tiny water droplets and/or ice crystals above the Earth's surface.

Cloud cover

The portion of the sky covered by clouds; NYC averages about 30% to 40% daily.

Precipitation

Any form of water that falls from clouds to the Earth's surface.

Visibility

The greatest distance one can see.

Wind

The movement and direction of air.

Air pressure

The force of air above an area.

mb (millibars)

A unit of atmospheric pressure; sea level pressure is about 1000 mb.

Sea level pressure

Atmospheric pressure at the Earth's surface; commonly around 1000 mb.

Troposphere

The lowest atmospheric layer where weather occurs, extending up to about 11 km.

Tropopause

The boundary between the Troposphere and Stratosphere.

Stratosphere

The layer above the troposphere where temperature increases with altitude and ozone is concentrated.

Stratopause

The boundary between the Stratosphere and Mesosphere.

Ozone

A layer in the stratosphere that protects living things by absorbing UV radiation and causes a temperature inversion.

Ozone hole

A depletion of ozone over Antarctica first identified in the 1980s.

CFCs

Chlorofluorocarbons; man-made chemicals that break down ozone when exposed to UV light.

Montreal Protocol

1987 treaty banning the production and use of CFCs.

Particulates

Natural or man-made particles (e.g., volcanoes, dust, fossil fuel smoke, forest fires) that affect air quality, visibility, and precipitation acidity.

Air quality

Overall cleanliness of the air, influenced by particulates and pollutants.

Nitrogen cycle

Cycle that recycles nitrogen from organisms when they decay into the atmosphere, and is removed from the atmosphere through fixation.

Oxygen cycle

Cycle regulated predominantly by photosynthesis.

Permanent atmospheric gases

Gases present in consistent worldwide percentages, notably nitrogen and oxygen.

Nitrogen

A permanent atmospheric gas; major component of air (about 78%).

Oxygen

A permanent atmospheric gas; a major component of air (about 21%).

Ozone maximum altitude

Ozone concentration peaks at about 20–30 km above Earth’s surface.

Ozone layer UV protection

Ozone absorbs UV radiation, protecting living things from harmful rays.

Evaporation

Process by which liquid water becomes water vapor when heated.

Condensation

Process by which water vapor cools and changes into liquid water, forming clouds.

Fossil fuels

Non-renewable energy sources (e.g., coal, oil, natural gas).

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

A greenhouse gas released from respiration and burning fossil fuels; part of the atmosphere's composition.

Climate

The long-term average of weather conditions, typically taken over about 30 years.

Average yearly temperature (Central Park NYC)

A record showing a long-term trend of higher average temperatures over many years.

Atmospheric layers (overview)

The atmosphere is organized into layers: Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere, with boundaries (Tropopause, Stratopause, Mesopause) between them.

Ionosphere

Region around 60–500 km above the surface that reflects radio waves; composed of D, E, and F layers.

D layer

Lower ionospheric layer; absorbs radio waves; more active during daytime.

E layer

Mid ionospheric layer; absorbs/refracts radio waves; stronger in daytime.

F layer

Highest ionospheric layer; reflects radio waves and supports long-distance communication; strongest during the day.

Homosphere

Lower atmosphere region where gas molecules are well mixed and have similar concentrations.

Heterosphere

Upper atmospheric region where gases are distributed by weight and not well mixed.