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METEOROLOGY UNIT VOCABULARY
Key Terms
atmosphere - Mixture of gases that surrounds Earth.
air pressure - The weight of air pressing down on an area.
troposphere - The bottom layer of the Earth's atmosphere.
stratosphere - The layer of the atmosphere in which ozone is present.
mesosphere - The layer of atmosphere where air is thin and most meteors burn
up.
thermosphere - The outer most layer of the atmosphere.
radiation - The direct transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves.
conduction - The transfer of thermal energy that results from the collision of
particles.
thermal energy - The total energy of motion in the molecules of a substance.
convection - The transfer of thermal energy through liquids and gases.
global warming - Is the rise in the average temperature of Earth's atmosphere
and oceans since the late 19th century and its projected continuation.
greenhouse effect - The process by which gases hold heat in the air.
temperature - The average amount of energy of motion of each molecule of a
substance; a measure to determine a substances level of hot or cold.
global winds - Winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long
distances.
local winds - Winds that blow over short distances.
coriolis effect - The way Earth's rotation makes winds in the Northern Hemisphere
curve to the right and winds in the Southern Hemisphere curve to the left.
water cycle - The natural sequence through which water passes into the
atmosphere as water vapor, precipitates to earth in liquid or solid form, and
ultimately returns to the atmosphere through evaporation.
jet stream - A high-speed, meandering wind current, generally moving from a
westerly direction at speeds often exceeding 400 kilometers (250 miles) per hour at
altitudes of 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles).
humidity - A measure of the amount of water vapor in the air.
relative humidity - A comparison of the actual amount of moisture in the air to
the greatest possible amount that could be in the air at the same temperature and
pressure.
evaporation - The change of water from liquid water to water vapor.
condensation - The process by which water vapor changes from a gas to a liquid.
cumulus - Clouds that form less than 2 kilometers above the ground and look like
fluffy, rounded piles of cotton.
stratus - Clouds that form in flat layers.
cirrus - Wispy, feathery clouds made mostly of ice crystals that form at high levels,
above about 6 kilometers.
barometer - An instrument that is used to measure air pressure and predict
changes in the weather.
Meteorologist - A science that deals with the atmosphere and with weather.
precipitation - The liquid water that returns to Earth's surface, usually as rain or
snow.
air mass - A huge body of air that has similar temperature, pressure, and humidity
throughout.
front - The border between two air masses that collide.
climate - The average, year-after-year conditions of temperature, precipitation,
winds, and clouds in an area.
anemometer - An instrument used to measure wind speed.
thunderstorm - A very strong storm with a lot of rain, thunder, and lightning.
tornado - An intense windstorm that often forms within a severe thunderstorm.
hurricane - A large, spiraling storm system that can be a much as 600 km across.
heat - The transfer of thermal energy.