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air mass
A huge body of air that has similar
temperature, humidity, and air pressure
throughout
climate
Average weather of a particular
area over a long period of time.
cold front
Forms when cold air moves under warm air
which is less dense and pushes air up
(produces thunderstorms heavy rain or snow.
Coriolis Effect
The effect of Earth's rotation on the
direction of winds and currents
doldrums
An area of calm or very light winds near
the equator, caused by rising warm air.
global wind system
The belts of constant winds and zones of pressure that
blow around planet Earth; although they vary in
thickness and strength, they are usually always present.
humidity
A measure of the amount of
water vapor in the air
hurricane
A severe storm that develops over tropical oceans
and whose strong winds of more than 120 km/h
(74 mph) spiral in toward the eye with heavy rains
jet stream
a high-speed high-altitude airstream blowing
from west to east near the top of the
troposphere
polar easterlies
Prevailing winds that blow from east to west
between 60 and 90 degrees latitude in both
hemispheres
prevailing westerlies
winds that blow west to east between 30 and
60 degrees in the northern and southern
hemispheres
tornado
A destructive, rotating column of air that has
very high wind speeds, is visible as a funnelshaped cloud, and touches the ground
trade winds
Prevailing winds that blow from east to west
from 30 degrees latitude to the equator in
both hemispheres
warm front
a front where warm air moves over cold air
and brings drizzly rain and then are followed
by warm and clear weather
weather
Condition of earths atmosphere
at a particular time and place