Weather and Climate Ch 1&2 Flash Cards

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Title: Weather and Climate Ch 1&2
Description: Prentice Hall Series Vocabulary
Number of Cards: 56
Save Count: 1
Author: cjtowle7
Created: 2004-10-19
Tags: earth earthsciences
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    • Question
    • Answer
    • Side 3
    • acid rain
    • rain that contains more acid than normal
    • air mass
    • a huge body of air that has similar temperature, pressure and humidity throughout
    • air pressure
    • a force that is the result of the weight of a column of air pushing down on an area
    • altitude
    • elevation above sea level
    • anemometer
    • an instrument used to measure wind speed
    • aneroid barometer
    • an instrument that measures changes in air pressure without using a liquid.
    • atmosphere
    • the layer of gases that surrounds the Earth
    • aurora borealis
    • a colorful glowing display in the sky caused when particles from the sun strike oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the ionosphere (Northern Lights)
    • Barometer
    • an instrument used to measure changes in air pressure
    • cirrus
    • wispy feathery clouds made mostly of ice crystals that form at high levels above 6 km.
    • condensation
    • the process by which molecules of water vapor in the air become liquid water
    • conduction
    • the direct transfer of heat from one substance to another substance that is touching
    • convection
    • the transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid
    • 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
    • cumulus
    • clouds that form less than 2 km above the ground and look like fluffy, rounded piles of cotton
    • density
    • the amount of mass of a substance to a given volume
    • dew point
    • the temperature at which condensation begins
    • drought
    • long periods of low precipitation
    • electromagnetic wave
    • a form of energy that can travel though space
    • evaporation
    • the process by which water molecules in liquid water escape into the air as water vapor
    • exosphere
    • the outer most layer of the thermosphere extending outward into space
    • global winds
    • winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distances
    • greenhouse effect
    • the process by which heat is trapped in the atmosphere by water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases that form a "blanket" around the Earth
    • heat
    • the energy transferred from a hotter object to a cooler one
    • humidity
    • a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air
    • infrared radiation
    • a form of energy with wavelengths that are longer than visible light
    • ionosphere
    • the lower part of the thermosphere, where electrically charged particles called ions are found
    • jet streams
    • bands of high speed winds about 10 Km abouve Earth's surface
    • land breeze
    • the flow of air from land to a body of water
    • latitude
    • the distance from the equator, measured in degrees
    • local winds
    • winds that blow over short distances
    • mercury barometer
    • an instrument that measures changes in air pressure, consisting of a glass tube partially filled with mercury
    • mesosphere
    • the middle layer of the atmosphere in which most meteoroids burn up
    • monsoons
    • sea and land breezes over a large region that change direction with the seasons
    • ozone
    • a form of oxygen that has three oxygen atoms in each molecule instead of the usual two
    • photochemical smog
    • a brownish haze that is a mixture of ozone and other chemicals, formed when nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and other pollutants react with each other in the presence of sunlight
    • pollutants
    • harmful substances in the air, water, or soil
    • precipitation
    • any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth's surface
    • pressure
    • the force pushing on an area of surface
    • psychrometer
    • an instrument used to measure relative humidity, consisting of a wet bulb thermometer and a dry bulb thermometer
    • radiation
    • the direct transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves
    • rain gauge
    • an instrument used to measure the amount of precipitation
    • relative humidity
    • the percentage of water vapor in the air compared to the maximum amount the air could hold at that temperature
    • scattering
    • reflection of light in all directions
    • sea breeze
    • the flow of air from an ocean or lake to the land
    • stratosphere
    • the second lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere; the ozone layer is located in the upper part
    • stratus
    • clouds that form in flat layers
    • temperature
    • the average amount of energy of motion in the molecules of a substance
    • thermal energy
    • the energy of motion in the molecules of a substance
    • thermometer
    • an instrument used to measure temperature, consisting of a thin glass tube with a bulb on one end containing mercury or alcohol
    • troposphere
    • the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere where weather occurs
    • ultraviolet radiation
    • a form of energy with wavelengths that are shorter than visible light
    • water vapor
    • water in the form of a gas
    • weather
    • the condition of Earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place
    • wind
    • the horizontal movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of lower pressure
    • wind chill factor
    • increased cooling caused by the wind