Weather and Climate Unit
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- group of chemical compounds used in refriderators, aerosol sprays, and foam packaging that destroy ozone molecules
- chlorofluorocarbon
- transfer of thermal energy from particle to particle through a material when there is a temperature difference; transfer of energy that occurs when molecules bump into each other
- conduction
- transfer of thermal energy that happens when particles move from one place to another where there is temperature difference, occurs in gases and liquids
- convection
- changes the direction of all free-moving objects to the right north of the equator and to the left to the south of the equator; creates wind patterns across the world and results from the rotation of Earth.
- Coriolis effect
- all the water that is found at Earth's surface, of which 97 percent is salt water and only three percent is fresh water.
- hydrosphere
- layer of electrically charged particles in the thermosphere.
- ionosphere
- narrow belt of strong winds that blows near the top of the troposphere.
- jet stream
- nightly movements of air created when cold air over the land forces up the warmer air above the sea.
- land breezes
- stratospheric layer with a high concentration of ozone; protects Earth by absorbing harmful ultraviolet radiation.
- ozone layer
- energy that travels by waves in all directions from its source (ch. 5, p. 129); transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves.
- radiation
- daily movements of air created when cooler, denser air moving inland from the ocean forces warm air over the land to rise.
- sea breezes
- layer of the atmosphere closest to the ground; contains 75 percent of the atmospheric gases, dust, ice, and liquid water and is where weather, smog, and clouds occur
- troposphere
- type of energy that comes to Earth from the sun and is mostly absorbed by the ozone layer; can cause cancer and other health problems in many types of plants and animals.
- ultraviolet radiation
- the continuous movement of water between Earth's surface and the atmosphere through evaporation, condensation, and percipitation.
- water cycle
- large body of air that has the same properties as the Earth's surface over which it formed.
- air mass
- temperature at which air is saturated and condensation forms; changes with the amount of moisture in the air.
- dew point
- specialized radar system that sends out repeated radio waves, monitors the reflected waves from distant storms, and can tell the direction a storm is moving.
- Doppler radar
- stratus cloud that forms when air is cooled to its dew point and condenses near the ground.
- fog
- boundary between warm and cold air masses
- front
- amount of water vapor held in the air.
- humidity
- large, swirling, low-pressure system that forms over tropical oceans and has winds of at least 120 km per hour.
- hurricane
- line drawn on a weather map that connects points of equal atmospheric pressure
- isobar
- line drawn on a weather map that connects points of equal temperature.
- isotherm
- person who studies weather, takes measurements of temperature, air pressure, winds, humidity, and precipitation, and uses information provided by weather instruments to make weather maps and forecasts.
- meteorologist
- water falling from clouds, including rain, snow, sleet, and hail
- precipitation
- measure of the amount of water vapor that the air is holding compared to the amount it can hold at a specific temperature.
- relative humidity
- shows the weather conditions at one specific location, using symbols on a map.
- station model
- violent, whirling wind that moves in a narrow path over land, forms a funnel, and can reach up to 500 km per hour and be highly destructive.
- tornado
- present state of the atmosphere, including air pressure, wind, temperature, and the amount of moisture in the air.
- weather
- any structure or behavior that helps an organism survive in its environment; develops in a population over a long period of time.
- adaptation
- pattern of weather that occurs in a particular area over many years.
- climate
- destruction or cutting down of trees.
- deforestation
- a climatic event that starts in the tropical Pacific Ocean and sets off changes in the atmosphere.
- El Niño
- rise in global temperatures because of the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
- global warming
- natural heating process caused when gases in the atmosphere trap heat; prevents Earth from being too cold to support life.
- greenhouse effect
- behavioral adaptation for survival during cold, winter months, where an animal becomes inactive and its metabolic needs are lowered; in amphibians, involves burying themselves in mud or leaves until temperatures become warmer.
- hibernation
- regions extending from 66.5° north and south latitudes to the poles that receive solar energy at a low angle or not at all and may be covered with ice year-round.
- polar zones
- short-term period of climate change caused by regular differences in temperature, daylight, and weather patterns that are due to Earth's tilt on its axis as it revolves around the sun.
- season
- regions with moderate temperatures located between the tropics and the polar zones.
- temperate zones
- region between latitudes 23.5° north and 23.5° south that receives the most solar radiation and is always hot, except at high elevations.
- tropics