Unit 8: Weather Factors Vocabulary
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33 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 electromagnetic waves | waves that transfer electric and magnetic energy through the vacuum of space |
| radiation | the direct transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves |
| infrared radiation | electromagnetic waves with wavelengths that are longer than visible light but shorter than microwaves |
| ultraviolet radiation | electromagnetic waves with wavelengths that are shorter than visible light but no longer than x-rays |
| greenhouse effect | the process by which heat is trapped in the atmosphere by gases that form a "blanket" around Earth |
| heat | the transfer of thermal energy from one object to another because of a difference in temperature |
| thermal energy | the total energy of motion in the particles of a substance |
| temperature | a measure of how hot or cold an object is compared to a reference point |
| conduction | the direct transfer of thermal energy from one substance to another that is touching |
| convection | the transfer of thermal energy by the movement of a fluid |
| convection currents | the circulation of a fluid as it alternately heats up and cools down |
| wind | the horizontal movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of lower pressure |
| anemometer | an instrument used to measure wind speed |
| wind-chill factor | a measure of cooling combining temperature and wind speed |
| local winds | winds that blow over short distances |
| sea breeze | the flow of cooler air from over an ocean or lake toward land |
| land breeze | the flow of air from land to a body of water |
| global wind | winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distances |
| coriolis effect | the change that Earth's rotation causes in that motion of objects and that explains how winds curve |
| water cycle | the continuel movement of water among earth's atmosphere, oceans, and land surface through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation |
| evaporation | the process by which water molecules in liquid water escape that air as water vapor |
| humidity | the amount of water vapor in a given volume of air |
| relative humidity | the percentage of water vapor in the air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor that the air can contain at a particular temperature |
| psychrometer | an instrument used to measure relative humidity |
| condensation | the process by which molecules of water vapor in air become liquid water |
| dew point | temperature at which condensation begins |
| cirrus | wispy, feathery clouds made of ice crystals that form at high levels |
| cumulus | fluffy, white clouds, usually with flat bottoms, that look like rounded piles of cotton |
| stratus | clouds that form in flat layers and often cover much of the sky |
| precipitation | any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth's surface |
| drought | long periods of low precipitation |
| rain gauge | an instrument used to measure precipitation |
| scattering | reflection of light in all directions |
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