Download Goal 3 Weather and Climate vocab

weather
The state of the
atmosphere: considering
wind, temperature,
cloudiness, moisture,
pressure, and other
factors.
forecast
A prediction of what the
future weather will be like.
atmosphere
The layer of air that
surrounds the earth.
temperature
A measurement of the
amount of heat
something contains.
weather
pattern
When the weather repeats
itself several days in a
row.
climate
The average weather over a
long period of time.
almanac
A book that contains
weather data and
forecasts.
water cycle
The journey water takes as
it circulates from the land
to the sky and back again.
water vapor
Water in its gaseous stateinstead of liquid or solid.
It is totally invisible.
condensation
When a gas becomes a
liquid.
evaporation
When a liquid
becomes a gas.
precipitation
Any liquid or solid form of
water that falls from the
atmosphere.
For example:
rain, snow, hail, or sleet.
stratus
Flat, featureless clouds low
in the atmosphere that
cover the sky like a
blanket. They indicate
rain.
cirrus
High level clouds made
mostly of ice crystals.
They indicate fair weather.
cumulonimbus
Clouds that bring summer
storms, usually with
thunder, lighting, and
strong winds.
cumulus
Mid-level, puffy clouds.
They indicate fair weather.
fog
Clouds that form at ground
level.
wind
isobars
Air flowing from high
pressure to low pressure .
beaufort scale
A scale that relates the
wind speed to its effects,
classified from force 0 to
force 12.
prevailing winds
The speed and direction of
wind over a particular
point on the earth's
surface.
Westerlies
The global winds that
carry weather over the
United States, traveling
from West to East.
Easterlies
Global winds at the poles
of the earth. These global
winds sometimes affect
our weather during the
winter months.
air mass
A massive bubble of air
that has the same
temperature and pressure
throughout.
air pressure
The force of air pushing
down on Earth.
barometer
A device used to measure
air pressure.
aneroid barometer
A barometer that uses
liquid.
isobar
A line drawn on a weather
map that connects
locations with the same
air pressure.
front
Where air masses meet,
but do not mix and rain or
storms occur.
cold front
The leading edge of a
moving mass of cold air,
brings thunderstorms,
and leaves behind cooler
air.
warm front
The leading edge of a moving
mass of warm air, brings rain
showers, leaves behind
warmer air.
occluded front
Where a cold front catches
up to and overtakes a
warm front.
stationary front
When a cold and a warm air
mass meet, but neither
moves.
tornado
A narrow, violent funnel
cloud that may form
during a thunderstorm
with winds greater
than 65 kph.
hurricane
A large rotating windstorm
with a calm central eye and
winds greater than 75 mph.
meteorologist
isobars
A person who studies the
weather.
meteorology
The study of the earth’s
atmosphere and what
happens in it.
station model
A weather symbol that
represents the state of the
weather at a particular
place.
rain gauge
A device used to measure
the amount of
precipitation in a given
area.