Unit 6: Atmosphere Part 1

Ozone - a form of oxygen that combines three oxygen atoms into each molecule (O3) Troposphere - the bottom layer (closest to the Earth), where weather occurs Stratosphere - above the troposphere, where the ozone is found

4.) Mesosphere - the third layer, above the stratosphere, temperature is going to decrease. 5.) Thermosphere - a layer that contains only a tiny fraction of the atmosphere’s mass 6.) Heat - the energy transferred from one object to another because of a difference in their temperatures.

7.) Temperature - a measure of the average kinetic energy of motion. 8.) Conduction - the transfer of heat through matter by molecular activity, TOUCH! 9.) Convection - the transfer of heat by mass movement or circulation within a substance

10.) Radiation - travels in all directions, can travel through the vacuum of space 11.) Greenhouse Effect - the heating of Earth’s surface and atmosphere from solar radiation being absorbed and emitted by the atmosphere, mainly by water vapor and carbon dioxide. 12.) Albedo - the fraction of total radiation that is reflected by any surface

13.) Isotherm - lines that connect points that have the same temperature 14.) Precipitation - any form of water that falls from a cloud 15.) Latent Heat - the energy absorbed or released during a change in state, hidden

16. ) Evaporation - the process of changing liquid to a gas 17 16.) Evaporation - the process of changing liquid to a gas 17.) Condensation - where water vapor changes to a liquid state 18.) Humidity - the amount of water vapor in the air

19.) Saturated - the state of air that contains the maximum quantity of water vapor that it can hold at any given temperature and pressure 20.) Relative Humidity - a ration of the air’s actual water-vapor content compared with the amount of water vapor air can hold at that temperature and pressure. 21.) Dew Point - the temperature to which a parcel of air would need to be cooled to reach saturation.

22.) Orographic Lifting - when elevated terrains, such as mountains, act as barriers to airflow this occurs. 23.) Front - when masses of warm air and cold air collide this is produced 24.) Temperature Inversion - a layer of limited depth in the atmosphere if limited depth where the temperature increases rather than decreases with height

25.) Condensation Nuclei - tiny bits of particulate matter that serves as surfaces on which water vapor condenses.

Atmosphere Vocabulary Part 2

1.) Air Pressure – The force exerted by the weight of a column of air above a given point 2.) Pressure Gradient – the spacing of isobars that indicated the amount of pressure changes that occur over a given distance.

3.) Coriolis Effect – describes how the Earth’s rotation affects moving objects. 4.) Jet Stream – fast-moving rivers of air 5.) Cyclone – a low pressure center characterized by a counterclockwise flow of air in the Northern Hemisphere

6.) Anticyclone – a high pressure center characterized by a clockwise flow of air in the Northern Hemisphere 7.) Trade Winds – two belts of wind that blow almost constantly from easterly directions.

8.) Westerlies – travels towards the poles, and generate these prevailing winds. 9.) Monsoon – Seasonal changes in wind direction 10.) Prevailing Wind – when the wind constantly blows more often from one direction than from any other

11.) El Nino – The name given to the periodic warming of the ocean that occurs in the central and eastern Pacific, can cause extreme weather in many parts of the world. 12.) La Nina – the opposite of El Nino, atmospheric phenomenon, surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific are colder than average

13. ) Barometer – an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure 14 13.) Barometer – an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure 14.) Polar Easterlies – in the global pattern of prevailing winds, winds that blow 15.) Polar Front – the stormy frontal zone separating cold air masses of polar origin from warm air masses of tropical origin

Part 3

1.) Air Mass – an immense body of air that is characterized by similar temperatures and amounts of moisture at any given altitude. 2.) Front – When two air masses meet, a boundary that separates two air masses

3.) Warm Front – forms when warm air moves into an area formerly covered by cooler air 4.) Cold Front – forms when cold, dense air moves into a region occupied by warmer air 5.) Stationary Front – the surface position of the front does not moves

6. ) Occluded Front – when an active cold front overtakes a warm front 6.) Occluded Front – when an active cold front overtakes a warm front. 7.) Thunderstorm – a storm that generates lightning and thunder. 8.) Tornado – violent windstorms that take the form of a rotating column of air called a vortex.

9. ) Hurricane – Whirling tropical cyclones that produce winds. 10 9.) Hurricane – Whirling tropical cyclones that produce winds. 10.) Storm Surge – a dome of water that sweeps across the coast where a hurricane’s eye moves onto land. 11.) Global Warming – A result of increases in carbon dioxide levels.