Meteorology vocabulary

The condition of Earth‘s atmosphere at a particular time and place.

The envelope of gases that surrounds Earth.

A form of oxygen that has three oxygen atoms in each molecule instead of the usual two.

Water in the form of a gas.

The amount of mass of a substance in a given volume.

The amount of force pushing on an area.

The pressure caused by the weight of a column of air pushing down on an area.

An instrument used to measure changes in air pressure.

An instrument that measures changes in air pressure, consisting of a glass tube partially filled with mercury, with its open end resting in a dish of mercury.

An instrument that measures changes in air pressure without using a liquid.

Elevation above sea level.

The lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere Tropo- means “to turn”

The second-lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere. Strato- means “layered”

The layer of Earth’s atmosphere immediately above the stratosphere. Meso- means “middle” or “between”

The outermost layer of Earth’s Atmosphere. Includes the Ionosphere and the Exosphere. Thermo- means “heat’; Exo- means “outer.”

Waves that transfer electric and magnetic energy through the vacuum of space.

The direct transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves.

Electromagnetic waves with wavelengths that are longer than visible light but shorter than microwaves.

Electromagnetic waves with wavelengths that are shorter than visible light but longer than x-rays.

Reflection of light in all directions.

The process by which heat is trapped in the atmosphere by gases that form a “blanket” around Earth.

A measure of how hot or cold an object is compared to a reference point.

The total energy of motion in the particles of a substance.

An instrument used to measure temperature.

The transfer of thermal energy from one object to another because of a difference in temperature.

The direct transfer of thermal energy from one substance to another that it is touching.

The transfer of thermal energy by the movement of a fluid.

The circulation of a fluid as it alternately heats up and cools down.

The horizontal movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of lower pressure.

An instrument used to measure wind speed.

A measure of cooling combining temperature and wind speed.

Winds that blow over short distances.

The flow of cooler air from over an ocean or lake toward land.

The flow of air from land to a body of water.

Winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distances.

The change that Earth’s rotation causes in the motion of objects and that explains how winds curve.

The distance in degrees north or south of the equator.

Bands of high-speed winds about 10 kilometers above Earth’s surface.

The continual movement of water among Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and land surface through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

The process by which water molecules in liquid water escape into the air as water vapor.

The amount of water vapor in a given volume of air.

The percentage of water vapor in the air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor that air can contain at a particular temperature.

An instrument used to measure relative humidity.

The process by which molecules of water vapor in the air become liquid water.

The temperature at which condensation begins.

Wispy, feathery clouds made of ice crystals that form at high levels.

Fluffy, white clouds, usually with flat bottoms, that look like rounded piles of cotton.

Clouds that form in flat layers and often cover much of the sky.

Any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth’s surface.

Long periods of low precipitation.

An instrument used to measure precipitation.