1.
air pressure: the result of the weight of a column of air pushing down on an area
2.
Anemometer: A device that measures wind speed.
3.
atmosphere: the mass of air surrounding the Earth
4.
aurora borealis: a colorful, glowing display in the sky caused when particles from the sun strike oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the ionosphere; also called the Northern Lights
5.
circulation cells: powerful convection currents created by the heating of earth's surface
6.
climate: the weather in some location averaged over some long period of time
7.
Coriolis effect: an effect whereby a body moving in a rotating frame of reference experiences a force acting perpendicular to the direction of motion and to the axis of rotation
8.
energy transfer: the change of energy from one form to another form to another, such as light to heat or the movement of energy from one object to another such as heat from a stove moving to your hand
9.
exosphere: The outer layer of the thermosphere, extending outward into space.
10.
Ferrel cell: the middle atmospheric circulation cell in each hemisphere air in these cells rises at 60 degrees latitude and falls at 30 degrees latitude
11.
Hadley cell: the atmospheric circulation cell nearest the equator in each hemisphere. Air in these cells rises near the equator because of strong solar heating there and falls because of cooling at about 30 degrees latitude
12.
heat sink: a material, such as water that can absorb a large amount of energy, for its volume and releases the energy slowly
13.
hurricane: a severe tropical cyclone usually with heavy rains and winds moving a 73-136 knots (12 on the Beaufort scale)
14.
isobar: an isogram connecting points having equal barometric pressure at a given time
15.
jet stream: a high-speed high-altitude airstream blowing from west to east near the top of the troposphere
16.
Leeward: Away from the direction from which the wind blows.
17.
Mesosphere: the layer of the atmosphere between the stratosphere and the thermosphere and in which temperature decreases as altitude increases
18.
microclimates: Local climatic conditions that differ from the general climate of a region
19.
Polar cell: Cells of air circulation occurring between 60 degrees north and south and each pole.
20.
prevailing winds: the global winds that blow constantly from the same direction
21.
relative humidity: the ratio of the amount of water in the air at a give temperature to the maximum amount it could hold at that temperature
22.
solar radiation units: one langley or one calorie per square centimeter
23.
stratosphere: the layer of the atmosphere that contains the ozone layer; temperature increases as you go up
24.
thermometer: an instrument used to find the temperature of a material
25.
thermosphere: The uppermost layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature increases as altitude increases
26.
tornado: a localized and violently destructive windstorm occurring over land characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground
27.
trade winds: Prevailing winds that blow northeast from 30 degrees north latitude to the equator and that blow southeast from 30 degrees south latitude to the equator
28.
troposphere: the layer closest to Earth, where almost all weather occurs; the thinnest layer
29.
weather: the meteorological conditions: temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
30.
westerlies: prevailing winds that blow from west to east between 30 degrees & 60degrees latitude in the hemisphere.
31.
wind chill: A measure of how cold it feels based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by cold and wind
32.
Windward: Toward the direction from which the wind blows.
