| A | B |
|---|
| rotation | turning of earth on its polar axis; one complete rotation requires 24hours and determines one earth day |
| short wave radiation | solar radiation, short waves= hot |
| solar constant | rate at which insolation is received just outside earth’s atmosphere on a suface at right angles to the incoming radiation. |
| solar system | the system of the sum of planets, their satellites, comets, meteoroids, and other objects revolving around the sun |
| solstice | one of two times a year when position of noon sun is overhead at its furthest distance from the equator; sun is overhead tropic of Cancer (june21) and tropic of Capricorn (dec21) |
| stratopause | upper limit of the stratosphere, separating it from the mesosphere |
| stratosphere | layer of atmosphere lying above the troposphere and below the mesosphere, characterized by fairly constant temps and ozone concentration |
| sublimation | direct change of the state of a material. Solid to gas or gas to solid |
| temperature gradient | rate of change of temperature with distance in any direction from a given point; a vertical temperature gradient is referred to as the lapse rate |
| temperature inversions | reverse of the normal pattern of vertical distribution of air temperature; in the case of inversion, temperature increases rather than decreases with increasing altitude |
| thermosphere | highest layer of atmosphere extending from the mesopause to outer space |
| three states of water | solid, liquid, gas |
| time zones | earth is divided into 24 tme zones (24h) to coordinate time with earth’s rotation |
| tropic of cancer | 23 ½ degrees north |
| tropic of capricorn | 23 ½ degrees south |
| tropical zone | 23 ½ north - 23 ½ degrees south |
| tropopause | boundary between the troposphere and stratosphere |
| troposphere | lowest layer of the atmosphere exhibiting a steady decrease in temp with increasing altitude and containing virtually all atmospheric dust and water vapor |
| ultraviolet | shorter waves than violet, but longer than x-rays and gamma rays |
| US public lands survey system | a method for locating and dividing land |
| visible light | light/color you can see, ROYGBIV |
| weather | current or reletively recent atmosphereic conditions |
