Meteorology - Private Pilot Ground School

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and definitions from the meteorology lecture for private pilots.

Atmosphere

A mixture of invisible gases surrounding the Earth.

Troposphere

The lowest layer of the atmosphere where most weather occurs, extending from the surface to 25,000 to 30,000 feet.

Stratosphere

The layer above the troposphere that extends from the tropopause to a height of about 160,000 feet, characterized by a slight temperature increase due to the presence of ozone.

Mesosphere

The layer of the atmosphere where temperature decreases with altitude and where most meteorites burn up.

Thermosphere

The layer characterized by low density and high temperatures, where auroras occur.

Ionosphere

A sublayer of the thermosphere made of charged particles that can reflect radio waves.

Exosphere

The outermost layer of the atmosphere that transitions into space, where pressure is extremely low.

Weather

The state of the atmosphere at a specific place and time, influenced by temperature, moisture, and pressure.

Humidity

The amount of water vapor present in the air.

Dewpoint

The temperature to which unsaturated air must be cooled to become saturated.