Module 1: Climate and Meteorology
resources
Materials found in the Earth that people need and value
cumulus
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
atmosphere
a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing
Law of Conservation of Matter
a fundamental principle of classical physics that matter cannot be created or destroyed in an isolated system
stratus
a large dark low cloud
drought
a long period without rain
cryosphere
a term referring to all water that is temporarily frozen in polar ice caps, snow, permafrost, and glaciers
cirrus
a wispy white cloud (usually of fine ice crystals) at a high altitude (4 to 8 miles)
mean
an average of n numbers computed by adding some function of the numbers and dividing by some function of n
latitude
an imaginary line around the Earth parallel to the equator
nimbus
an indication of radiant light drawn around the head of a saint
properties
characteristics used to describe a substance
accurate
conforming exactly or almost exactly to fact or to a standard or performing with total accuracy
altitude
elevation especially above sea level or above the earth's surface
hurricanes
fierce tropical storms with strong winds
radiosonde
instrument package carried by a weather balloon to record conditions at a higher altitude
geophysical
of or concerned with geophysics
solar radiation
radiation from the sun
symbol
something visible that by association or convention represents something else that is invisible
forecasts
statements of what is coming; predictions
pollution
the act of contaminating or polluting
composition
the act of creating written works
model
the act of representing something (usually on a smaller scale)
energy budget
the amount of energy available to heat the earth's land, water, and air
thermosphere
the atmospheric layer between the mesosphere and the exosphere
stratosphere
the atmospheric layer between the troposphere and the mesosphere
water cycle
the continuous process by which water moves from Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back
meteorology
the earth science dealing with phenomena of the atmosphere (especially weather)
transpiration
the emission of water vapor from the leaves of plants
precipitation
the falling to earth of any form of water (rain or snow or hail or sleet or mist)
troposphere
the lowest atmospheric layer
weather
the meteorological conditions: temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
runoff
the occurrence of surplus liquid (as water) exceeding the limit or capacity
exosphere
the outermost atmospheric layer
condensation
the process of changing from a gaseous to a liquid or solid state
evaporation
the process of extracting moisture
biosphere
the regions of the surface and atmosphere of the Earth (or other planet) where living organisms exist
infiltration
the slow passage of a liquid through a filtering medium
geosphere
the solid part of the earth consisting of the crust and outer mantle
convection
the transfer of heat through a fluid (liquid or gas) caused by molecular motion
conduction
the transmission of heat or electricity or sound
hydrosphere
the watery layer of the earth's surface
climate
the weather in some location averaged over some long period of time
mesophere
third layer of the atmoshpere
tornadoes
violent, spiraling winds that move in a narrow path over land.
greenhouse effect
warming that results when solar radiation is trapped by the atmosphere
groundwater
water that fills the cracks and spaces in underground soil and rock layers
composition of earth's atmosphere
78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen
radiation
(medicine) the treatment of disease (especially cancer) by exposure to radiation from a radioactive substance
front
(meteorology) the atmospheric phenomenon created at the boundary between two different air masses
molecule
(physics and chemistry) the simplest structural unit of an element or compound