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Meteorology 1-5
Meteorology 1-5
181
Meteorology
Undergraduate 2
02/06/2011

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Term
Atmosphere
Definition
A thin, gaseous envelope comprised mostly of nitrogen and oxygen, with small amounts of other gases;surrounds the earth
Term
Nitrogen
Definition
Occupies 78% of of total volume of dry air
Term
Oxygen
Definition
Occupies 21% of the total volume of dry air
Term
Water Vapor
Definition
Invisible gas;can account for up to 4% of atmospheric gases;greenhouse gas
Term
Carbon Dioxide
Definition
Occupies 0.038% of volume of air;greenhouse gas;is removed from air during photosynthesis
Term
Ozone
Definition
Primary ingrediant of photochemical smog;97% is in stratosphere;shields plants, animals, and humans from the sun's ultraviolet ray
Term
Ozone hole
Definition
Ozone holes appear when CFCs enter stratosphere and releases chlorine because of being broken apart by the ultraviolet rays
Term
Chlorofluorocarbens
Definition
Group of greenhouse gases, used as refrigerants, cleaning solvent
Term
Aerosols
Definition
A collection of liquid or solid suspended particles of various composition
Term
Pollutants
Definition
hazardous impure gases; nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons
Term
Acid rain
Definition
rain containing sulfuric acid/corrodes metals/turns oceans acidic/major hazard
Term
Outgassing
Definition
Outpouring of gases from hot interior
Term
Density
Definition
How much matter is in a given space;of air determined by masses of atoms and molecules and space between them
Term
Pressure
Definition
A push divided by the area on which it pushes
Term
Air/Atmospheric Pressure
Definition
The amount of force exerted over an area of surface.
Term
Lapse rate
Definition
The rate at which air temperature decreases with height
Term
Temperature Inversion
Definition
Air temperature increasing with height
Term
Troposphere
Definition
The region of circulating air extending upward from the earths surface to where the air stops becoming colder with height;from greek word tropein, meaning to turn or change
Term
Stratosphere
Definition
Region above troposphere where temperature increases with height. Most of the ozone is here.
Term
Tropopause
Definition
boundary separating troposphere and stratosphere
Term
Radiosonde
Definition
Measures the vertical profile of air temperature in the atmosphere up to an elevation sometimes exceeding 30 km
Term
Mesosphere
Definition
Above the Stratosphere. Coldest layer. Temperature decreases with height, small amount of oxygen, low air pressure; 1mb
Term
Thermosphere
Definition
The hot layer;above the mesosphere. Hot because it aborbs solar rays,few atoms and molecules,
Term
Exosphere
Definition
Upper limit of atmosphere; where atoms and molecules shoot off into space
Term
Homosphere
Definition
Below thermosphere/infrequent collisions between atoms and molecules/air can't keep itself stirred.
Term
Heterosphere
Definition
Region from base of the thermosphere to top of the atmosphere.
Term
Ionosphere
Definition
An electrified region within the upper atmosphere where fairly large concentrations of ions and free elections exist.
Term
Ions
Definition
Atoms and molecules that have lost or gained one or more elections.
Term
Weather
Definition
Air temperature, air pressure, humidity, clouds, precipitation, visibility, wind. Condition of atmosphere at a certain time or place.
Term
Meteorology
Definition
The study of the atmosphere and its phenomina
Term
Barometer
Definition
Measures air pressure.
Term
Hygrometer
Definition
Measures humidity
Term
Isobars
Definition
Lines of equal pressure on weather maps.
Term
Longitude
Definition
East or west from meridan
Term
Latitude
Definition
North or south from equator
Term
Middle latitude
Definition
Between 30N and 50N are the middle latitudes.
Term
middle-latitude cyclonic storm
Definition
Forms outside the tropics and in the northern hemisphere has winds spinning counter clockwise about its center
Term
Hurricane
Definition
Located over Pacific Ocean, swirling bands of rotating clouds, high surface winds, the center is called the eye. Diameter is about 800 km.
Term
Thunderstorms
Definition
former cumulus clouds turned into tall churning clouds accompanied by lighting, thunder, strong winds, and heavy rain.
Term
Tornado
Definition
Intense rotating column of air that extends downward from the base of a thunderstorm
Term
Wind
Definition
Horizontal movement of air
Term
WInd direction
Definition
The direction from which the wind is blowing.
Term
Front
Definition
A sharp change in temperature, humidity, and wind direction
Term
Energy
Definition
The ability or capacity to do work on some form of matter
Term
potential energy
Definition
A type of energy that has the potential to do work
P=mgh
Term
Kinetic Energy
Definition
Energy of motion
ke=1/2mv2
Term
Heat Energy
Definition
Energy from atoms and molecules due to their motion
Term
Temperature
Definition
Measure of the average speed of atoms and molecules
Term
Heat
Definition
energy in the process of being transferred from one object to another because of the temperature difference; transferred by conduction, convection, and radiation
Term
Absolute zero
Definition
lowest temperature possible/atoms and molecules have minimum amount of energy
Term
Absolute zero
Definition
lowest temperature possible/atoms and molecules have minimum amount of energy
Term
heat capacity
Definition
Ratio of the amount of heat energy absorbed by that substance to its responding temperature rise
Term
Specific heat
Definition
The heat capacity of a substance per unit mass
Term
Latent heat
Definition
the heat energy required to change a substance from one form to another
Term
Sensible Heat
Definition
Heat we can feel, sense, and measure
Term
Latent heat of evaporation
Definition
liquid into vapor
Term
latent heat of condensation
Definition
vapor into liquid
Term
latent heat of sublimation
Definition
ice into vapor
Term
latent heat of deposition
Definition
vapor into ice
Term
Conduction
Definition
The transfer of heat from molecule to molecule within a substance
Term
Convection
Definition
The transfer of heat by the mass movement of a fluid
Term
thermals
Definition
Rising air bubbles
Term
Advection
Definition
The transfer of properties by horizontally moving air
Term
Radiation
Definition
Energy transferred from the sun to an object
Term
Electromagnetic waves
Definition
waves that have magnetic and electrical properties
Term
Wavelength
Definition
The distance measured along a wave from one crest to another
Term
Micrometer
Definition
Measures short waves/one millionth of one meter
Term
Protons
Definition
packets of energy that make up waves
Term
Stefan-Boltzmann law
Definition
All objects with temperatures above absolute zero emit radiation at a rate proportional to the fourth power of their absolute temperature
Term
Wien's Law
Definition
The constant divided by the object's surface temperature in degrees kelvin equals the wavelength in micrometers at which maximum radiation emission occurs
Term
Longwave radiation
Definition
The earth's radiation
Term
Shortwave radiation
Definition
The sun's radiation
Term
Visible region
Definition
The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that we can see. 0.4-0.7
Term
Ultraviolet
Definition
Wavelengths shorter than violent, which is the shortest in visible spectrum
Term
Infrared
Definition
Wavelengths longer than red, which is the longest in the visible spectrum
Term
Blackbody
Definition
Absorbs all possible radiation perfectly and emits all possibly radiation perfectly
Term
Radiative equilibrium temperature
Definition
The rate of absorption is the same as the rate of emission
Term
Selective absorbers
Definition
Objects that selectively absorb and emit radiation
Term
Kirchhof's law
Definition
Good absorbers are good emitters at a particular wavelength, and poor absorbers are poor emitters at the same wavelength
Term
Greenhouse affect
Definition
The abortion of infrared radiation from the earth by water vapor and CO2
Term
Atmospheric Window
Definition
Wavelength range between 8-ll um where neither water vapor or co2 readily absorb infrared radiation
Term
Solar Constant
Definition
Rate at which radiant energy from the sun is received on a surface at the outer edge of the atmosphere perpendicular to the sun's rays when the earth is at an average distance from the sun
Term
Scattering
Definition
Light that hits small objects and deflects in all directions
Term
Reflected
Definition
Objects that are hit by light and reflects some of it back to the source
Term
Albedo
Definition
Percent of radiation returning from a given surface compared to the amount of radiation initially striking that surface
Term
Solar Wind
Definition
Charged particles from the sun
Term
Aurora
Definition
solar wind disturbing the magnetosphere around the earth and hitting the atoms and molecules inside, causing them to jump excitedly and emit radiation that we can see
Term
Airglow
Definition
A faint glow at night from ionized oxygen and nitrogen excited by solar radiation
Term
Summer Solstice
Definition
June 21, first day of summer in Northern hemisphere
Term
Autumnal equinox
Definition
First day of Autumn, September 22
Term
Indian Summer
Definition
Warm period in the middle of Autumn lasting between a few days up to a week or more.
Term
Winter Solstice
Definition
December 21, first day of Winter, shortest day of the year
Term
Vernal(Spring) equinox
Definition
March 20, first day of Spring
Term
Radiational Cooling
Definition
The ground and air radiating infrared energy
Term
Radiation Inversion(Nocturnal inversion)
Definition
Air above the ground being warmer than the ground and the air touching the ground
Term
Thermal Belts
Definition
Warm hillsides surrounding a valley
Term
Orchard Heaters
Definition
Machines that set up convection currents close to the ground
Term
Wind Machines
Definition
Power-driven fans that resemble airplane propellers
Term
Freeze
Definition
When subfreezing air blows into a region, becomes colder with height and stays there long enough to damage crops
Term
Isotherms
Definition
Lines connecting places that have the same temperature on weather maps
Term
Diurnal range of temperature
Definition
The difference between the daily maximum and minimum temperature
Term
Mean(Average) daily temperature
Definition
The average for the highest and lowest temperatures for a 24 hour period
Term
Annual range of temperature
Definition
The difference between the average temperature of the warmest and coldest months
Term
Mean annual temperature
Definition
the average of the twelve monthly average temperatures
Term
Heating Degree-Day
Definition
An application for measuring how many heating degree days there will be. Done by subtracting the mean temperature for the day from 65%F
Term
Cooling degree-day
Definition
Estimates the energy needed to cool indoor air to a comfortable level.
Term
Growing degree-day
Definition
Used by farmers for determining the approximate dates when a crop will be ready for harvesting.
Term
Sensible Temperature
Definition
The temperature we perceive
Term
Wind-Chill index
Definition
How cold the wind makes us feel
Term
Frostbite
Definition
THe freezing of skin
Term
Hypothermia
Definition
The rapid, progressive mental and physical collapse that accompanies the lowering of human body temperature
Term
Liquid-in-glass thermometers
Definition
For measuring surface air temperatures
Term
Maximum thermometer
Definition
Used for measuring the maximum temperature for the day;has constriction in the bore above bulb
Term
Minimum Thermometer
Definition
Measures lowest temperature of the day;has small barbell-shaped index marker in bore
Term
Electrical Thermometer
Definition
Measures the resistance of wire;the more it vibrates the higher the temperature
Term
Radiometers
Definition
Measure emitted radiation (usually infrared)
Term
Bimetallic thermometer
Definition
Two different pieces of metal (brass and iron) welded together to form a single strip
Term
Thermograph
Definition
An instrument that measures and records temperature. gradually being replaced by data loggers
Term
Instrument shelter
Definition
A white enclosed shelter that forces north and has louvered sides
Term
Evaporation
Definition
Liquid water turning into vapor
Term
Condensation
Definition
Water vapor turning into clouds
Term
precipitation
Definition
Any form of water that falls from a cloud and reaches the ground
Term
Sublimation
Definition
Water molecule escaping from ice and becoming vapor
Term
Deposition
Definition
Water vapor attach itself to ice and becoming part of it
Term
Saturation
Definition
When one molecule evaporates, one must condense, keeping it balanced.
Term
Absolute Humidity
Definition
Extracting water vapor from an enclosed space, weighing it, and obtaining its mass and comparing it with the volume of air in space
Term
Specific Humidity
Definition
Comparing mass of water vapor in enclosed space with mass of air
Term
Mixing Ratio
Definition
Comparing mass of water vapor with mass of remaining dry air
Term
Actual Vapor Pressure
Definition
Partial pressure of water vapor
Term
Saturation vapor pressure
Definition
How much water vapor is necessary to make the air saturated at any given temperature
Term
Relative Humidity
Definition
THe ratio of the amount of water vapor actually in the air to the maximum amount of water vapor required for saturation at that particular temperature (an pressure)
Term
Supersaturated
Definition
AIr with a relative humidity greater than 100%
Term
Dew Point
Definition
50%F. It represents the temperature to which air would have to be cooled (With no change in air pressure or moisture content) for saturation to occur.
Term
Frost point
Definition
When the dew point is determined with respect to a flat surface with ice
Term
Wet-bulb temperature
Definition
The lowest temperature that can be reached by evaporating water into the air
Term
Heatstroke
Definition
When one's body temperature reaches 106%
Term
Heat Index
Definition
A measurement for combining air temperature with relative humidity to determine apparent temperature
Term
Apparent temperature
Definition
What the temperature feels like
Term
Psychrometer
Definition
Two liquid in glass thermometers tied together, with one have a wick covering the bulb
Term
Hygrometers
Definition
Instruments that measure humidity
Term
Hair hygrometer
Definition
Uses a human hair to measure humidity
Term
Dew Point
Definition
The temperature at which saturation occurs
Term
Dew
Definition
When surfaces like grass cool to below the dew point, tiny specks of water appear on them
Term
Frozen dew
Definition
If the air temperature drops to freezing or below after dew is formed, the dew will freeze
Term
Frost
Definition
When the dew point temperature is at or below freezing, frost forms
Term
Condensation Nuclei
Definition
particles that serve as surfaces on which water vapor can condense
Term
Hygroscopic
Definition
Particles that are water vapor seeking
Term
Hydrophobic
Definition
Particles that repel water vapor
Term
Haze
Definition
A layer of dust or salt particles
Term
Fog
Definition
Wet haze becoming a cloud resting near the ground; water droplet becoming bigger and visible
Term
Acid fog
Definition
Fog mixing with gaseous impurities
Term
radiation fog
Definition
Produced by the earth's radiational cooling; moist air moves over dry ground, cannot aborb the outgoing infraraed radiation, so the ground cools rapidly as does the air above and surface inversion happens, making the lower moist layer saturate
Term
Advection fog
Definition
Warm air moves over surface that is colder than air above so transfer from heat to surface will cool air to its dew point and produce fog
Term
Advection-Radiation fog
Definition
Warm moist air moving from water over land and cooling to its saturation point from the cold ground, which is usually caused by radiational cooling
Term
Upslope Fog
Definition
Fog that forms when moist air flows up along an elevated plane
Term
Evaporation(mixing) fog
Definition
Fog formed by the mixing of two unsaturated masses of air
Term
Steam fog
Definition
A type of evaporation fog; formed when cold air moves over warm water
Term
Frontal Fog
Definition
Fog forming in a shallow layer of cold air just ahead of an approaching warm front or behind a cold front
Term
Winter Chilling
Definition
A large number of hours with the air temperature below 40%f
Term
Cirrus
Definition
High clouds that a thin and wispy and blown by high winds into long streamers called mare's trails
Term
Cirrocumulus
Definition
Clouds that are small, rounded, white puffs that may occur individually or in long rows that are rippling in appearance
Term
Cirrostratus
Definition
Thin, sheetlike, high clouds that often cover the entire sky; produce halos
Term
Altocumulus
Definition
Grey, puffy, masses sometimes rolled out in parallel waves;one part of cloud is usually darker than other;little castles
Term
Altostratus
Definition
Gray or blue-gray clouds often covering entire sky/watery sun/no shadows
Term
Nimbostratus
Definition
Dark gray wet looking cloudy layer associated with rain or snow
Term
Stratocumulus
Definition
Low lumpy clouds that appear in rows, in patches, are as rounded masses with blue sky visible between the individual cloud elements
Term
Stratus
Definition
Uniform grayish cloud that often covers the entire sky;lower and darker gray than altocumulus
Term
Cumulus
Definition
Puffy, appears in sunshine, looks like floating cotton with distinctive lines and flat base, top of cloud looks like rounded towers;detached
Term
Cumulus humilis
Definition
fair weather cumulus
Term
Cumulus fractus
Definition
smaller than humulus and scattered across sky
Term
Cumulus congestus
Definition
Head of cauliflower
Term
Cumulonimbus
Definition
A thunderstorm cloud, dark base, extend to Tropopause
Term
Lenticular Clouds
Definition
Looks like lenses and stack upon each other like pancakes
Term
Banner cloud
Definition
A cloud that forms over and extends downwind of an isolated mountain peak
Term
Pileus
Definition
Cap cloud, a silken scarf capping the top of a sprouting cumulus cloud
Term
Mammatus clouds
Definition
Baglike sacks that hang beneath the cloud and resembles a cow's udder
Term
Contrail
Definition
Jet aircrafts producing cirrus-like condensed vapor trails as they move through the sky
Term
Nacreus clouds
Definition
Mother of pearl clouds;form in stratosphere;
Term
Noctilucent clouds
Definition
luminious night clouds
Term
Geostationary satellite
Definition
Orbit the equator at the same rate the earth spins, use real time data system,
Term
Polar-orbiting satellites
Definition
Pass over north and south polar regions on each evolution and eventually cover the entire earth; photography clouds directly beneath them, lower and more detailed than geostationary
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