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Unit 4 Meteorology

Term	Definition
ozone	a form of oxygen, O 3 , with a peculiar odor suggesting that of weak chlorine, produced when an electric spark or ultraviolet light is passed through air or oxygen
troposphere	the lowest layer of the atmosphere
stratosphere	the lowest layer of the atmosphere
mesosphere	the region between the ionosphere and the exosphere
thermosphere	the region of the upper atmosphere in which temperature increases continuously with altitude, encompassing essentially all of the atmosphere above the mesosphere.
conduction	the transfer of heat between two parts of a stationary system, caused by a temperature difference between the parts.
convection	the transfer of heat by the circulation or movement of the heated parts of a liquid or gas.
radiation	the process in which energy is emitted as particles or waves.
reflection	the return of light, heat, sound, etc., after striking a surface.
scattering	the process in which a wave or beam of particles is diffused or deflected by collisions with particles of the medium that it traverses.
greenhouse effect	an atmospheric heating phenomenon, caused by short-wave solar radiation being readily transmitted inward through the earth's atmosphere but longer-wavelength heat radiation less readily transmitted outward
albedo	the ratio of the light reflected by a planet or satellite to that received by it.
isotherms	a line on a weather map or chart connecting points having equal temperature.
precipitation	falling products of condensation in the atmosphere, as rain, snow, or hail.
latent heat	heat absorbed or radiated during a change of phase at constant temperature and pressure.
evaporation	heat absorbed or radiated during a change of phase at constant temperature and pressure.
condensation	the process by which atmospheric water vapor liquefies to form fog, clouds, or the like, or solidifies to form snow or hail.
sublimation	The process of changing from a solid to a gas without passing through an intermediate liquid phase.
humidity	condition; moistness; dampness.
saturated	soaked, impregnated, or imbued thoroughly; charged thoroughly or completely; brought to a state of saturation.
dew point	the temperature to which air must be cooled, at a given pressure and water-vapor content, for it to reach saturation; the temperature at which dew begins to form.
hygrometer/psychrometer	any instrument for measuring the water-vapor content of the atmosphere.
weather front	a boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, and is the principal cause of meteorological phenomena.
condensation nuclei	any tiny suspended particle in the atmosphere, either liquid or solid, upon which condensation of water vapor begins
cirrus	a cloud of a class characterized by thin white filaments or narrow bands and a composition of ice crystals
cumulus	a cloud of a class characterized by dense individual elements in the form of puffs, mounds, or towers, with flat bases and tops that often resemble cauliflower
sratus	a cloud of a class characterized by a gray, horizontal layer with a uniform base, found at a lower altitude than altostratus
supersatured	to increase the concentration of (a solution) beyond saturation; saturate abnormally.
air pressure	the force exerted by air, whether compressed or unconfined, on any surface in contact with it.
barometer	any instrument that measures atmospheric pressure.
pressure gradient	the change in atmospheric pressure per unit of horizontal distance in the direction in which pressure changes most rapidly.
coriolis effect	the apparent deflection (Coriolis acceleration) of a body in motion with respect to the earth, as seen by an observer on the earth, attributed to a fictitious force (Coriolis force) but actually caused by the rotation of the earth
jet stream	strong, generally westerly winds concentrated in a relatively narrow and shallow stream in the upper troposphere of the earth.
cyclone	a large-scale, atmospheric wind-and-pressure system characterized by low pressure at its center and by circular wind motion, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
anti-cyclone	a circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
trade winds	any of the nearly constant easterly winds that dominate most of the tropics and subtropics throughout the world, blowing mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere, and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere.
westerlies	any semipermanent belt of westerly winds, especially those that prevail at latitudes lying between the tropical and polar regions of the earth.
polar easterlies	the dry, cold prevailing winds that blow from the high-pressure areas of the polar highs at the north and south poles towards low-pressure areas within the Westerlies at high latitudes.
anemometer	any instrument for measuring the speed of wind.
el nino	a warm ocean current of variable intensity that develops after late December along the coast of Ecuador and Peru and sometimes causes catastrophic weather conditions.
air mass	a body of air covering a relatively wide area, exhibiting approximately uniform properties through any horizontal section.
stationary front	a front between warm and cold air masses that is moving very slowly or not at all.
occluded front	a composite front formed when a cold front overtakes a warm front and forces it aloft.
storm surge	an abnormal rise in the level of the sea along a coast caused by the onshore winds of a severe cyclone. Expand

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