| A | B |
|---|
| weather | short term conditions of the atmosphere including temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind, and visibility |
| primary cause of wind | air pressure differences due to uneveness of heating |
| mesosphere | layer of the atmosphere believed to protect the Earth from meteors |
| sea breezes | air movement from sea to land (daytime condition) |
| ozone layer | protects Earth from excess UV radiation |
| windward geographic position | moderate coastal side of a mountain range |
| leeward geographic position | more extreme continental side of a mountain range |
| albedo | portion of total radiation that is reflected back by a surface |
| coriolis | deflection of wind and current to the right toward the equator in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere |
| seasonal change | differentials in amounts of direct and indirect sunligth caused by the Earth's axis tilt |
| Equinox | term meaning equal nights (occurs twice per year) |
| high specific heat | property of H2O that resists changes in temperature |
| convection | transfer of heat by the movement of a mass or substance (fluid movement-rising and sinking)) |
| barometer | instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure |
| isobars | lines connecting areas of equal pressure |
| stratosphere | second atmospheric layer (contains the ozone layer) |
| thermosphere | least dense layer of the atmosphere (molecules may be km apart) |
| troposphere | layer of the atmosphere where convection currents and weather occur |
| conduction | transfer of heat through a solid (contact) |
| radiation | transfer of energy that does not require a medium (can transmit through the vacuum of space) |
| greenhouse effect | natural warming of the atmosphere achieved through atmospheric absorption of infrared radiation by selective absorbers (CO2, water vapor) |
| nitrogen | the most common element found in the atmosphere |
| water vapor | most important atmospheric gas in determining weather |
| major atmospheric layers | troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere |
| magnetosphere | causes aurora borealis |
| aurora borealis | atmospheric effect called the northern lights |
| doldrums | relatively dead wind zone near the equator |
| climate | average weather conditions over a long period of time |
| atmosphere | mixture of gases surrounding a planet |
| temperature | measure of the average kinetic energy of atoms or molecules in a substance |
