| Term | Definition |
|---|
| lateral moraine | moraine that forms along the sides of glaciers |
| end moraine | moraine that forms at the terminus (end) |
| terminal moraine | eroded rock material dropped at the front of a glacier |
| drumlins | a long, canoe shaped hill made of till and shaped by an advancing glacier |
| outwash plain | flat area in front of a glacier where the debris washes |
| kettle lake | a lake that forms when a block of ice falls off of the glacial front, is buried by glacial drift, and then melts, forming a depression that fills with water. |
| continental ice sheets | mass of ice that covers large land areas |
| valley glaciers | long narrrow glaciers confined by mountains that usually move downhill through valleys already cut by rivers |
| conduction | direct transfer of thermal motion between molecules of the environment and those of the body surface. |
| convection | the transfer of heat through a fluid (liquid or gas) caused by molecular motion |
| radiation | energy that is radiated or transmitted in the form of rays or waves or particles |
| mesosphere | the atmospheric layer above stratosphere and contains meteors |
| thermosphere | above mesosphere and contains auroras and space shuttles |
| ionosphere | this is the lower part of the thermosphere, or the first layer. (hint: begins with I) |
| stratosphere | above the troposphere ; contains ozone layer |
| troposphere | first layer of the atmosphere |
| ozone layer | in the stratosphere. protects us from harmful uv rays |
| weather | the meteorological conditions: temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation |
| climate | the weather in some location averaged over some long period of time |
| global warming | an increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere (especially a sustained increase that causes climatic changes) |
| greenhouse effect | The trapping of heat by the atmosphere (too much carbon dioxide) which will raise the temperature of the planet. |
| electromagnetic spectrum | the entire frequency range of electromagnetic waves |
| pollution | undesirable state of the natural environment being contaminated with harmful substances as a consequence of human activities |
| barometer | an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure |
| air pressure | the result of the weight of a column of air pushing down on an area |
| temperature | the degree of hotness or coldness of a body or environment (corresponding to its molecular activity) |
| water vapor | water in the form of a gas. its invisible and is not the same thing as steam. |
| jet stream | a high-speed high-altitude airstream blowing from west to east near the top of the troposphere |
| monsoon | rainy season in southern Asia when the southwestern monsoon blows, bringing heavy rains |
| wind vane | tells where the wind is blowing. usually in the shape of a chicken |
| anemometer | a device for recording the speed and direction of wind |
| density | mass divided by volume |
| salinity | a measure of the amount of dissolved salts and other solids in a given amount of liquid |
| 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. |
| tide | the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon |
| neap tide | When the tidal range is lowest. (first moon and third moon) |
| spring tide | when the tidal range is at its greatest(full moon or new moon) |
| atmosphere | the mass of gasses surrounding the Earth |
| evaporation | the process by which water changes from liquid form to an atmospheric gas |
| transpiration | the emission of water vapor from the leaves of plants |
| capacity | the maximum production possible. water can have this... |
| humidity | the amount of water vapor in the air |
| saturated | when the specific humidity equals the air's capacity for holding water vapor, the air is ..... |
| specific humidity | amount of water vapor actually present in the air |
| psychrometer | an instrument that measures relative humidity by using wet-bulb and dry-bulb temperatures |
| relative humidity | the extent to which air is saturated with water vapor; it's expressed as a percent |
| dew point | the temperature at which air becomes saturated with water vapor |
| condensation | change from water vapor to liquid water |
| frost | water vapor that has condensed on a surface as a solid when the temperature is at or below 0 degrees Celsius |
| clouds | When air ascends it expands and cools and if sufficiently moist a cloud will form. Visible ..... are of several recognizable types depending on the process of their formation. |
| cirrus | thin, feathery, or tufted clouds of ice crystals at high altitudes |
| cumulus | thick, puffy, masses of clouds formed by vertically rising air currents |
| stratus | clouds that are arranged in unbroken, low, horizontal layers, or sheets |
| fog | droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground |
| precipitation | the falling of any form of water from the air to Earth's surface occuring when cloud droplets become heavy enough to fall to earth |
| rain gauge | an instrument for measuring the amount of precipitation |
| sleet | when raindrops fall through the freezing air, they turn into pellets of ice that fall to the ground |
| hail | precipitation in the form of irregular balls or lumps made of concentric layers of ice |
| rain | water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere |
| snow | precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals |
| air mass | a body of air that has about the same temperature and moisture throughout |
| polar air mass | air mass that brings colder air. |
| tropical air mass | air mass that brings warmer air. |
| maritime | air mass that forms over an ocean |
| continental | air mass that forms over continents |
| cold front | the front of an advancing mass of colder air |
| warm front | the front of an advancing mass of warmer air |
| stationary front | when a warm air mass and a cold air mass meet and no movement occurs |
| hurricane | a tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour or greater |
| thunderstorm | a small storm often accompanied by heavy precipitation and frequent thunder and lightning |
| tornado | a narrow, violent, funnel-shaped column of spiral winds that extends downward from the cloud base to earth |
| station model | a listing of about 20 different weather observations around the location of a National Weather Service station on a weather map |
| weather map | a map showing the principal meteorological elements at a given time and over an extended region |
| isobar | line connecting points of same atmospheric pressure |
| highs | areas of higher pressure than areas around it; |
| lows | areas with lower air pressure than surrounding areas; |
Combine with other sets
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