| A | B |
|---|
| atmosphere | the layer of air that surrounds Earth |
| cash crop | something that is grown to be sold rather than to be consumed by the farmers and their families |
| condenses | to lose heat and change from a vapor or gas into a liquid. Moisture, or water vapor. |
| convection | the movement, or transfer, of heat through a gas or liquid |
| current | the steady movement of air or water due to convection |
| El Nino | a warm ocean current that flows off the west coast of South America every few years. This event changes weather patterns around the world. It may also cause extreme weather in some regions. |
| extreme weather | severe or unusual conditions, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and blizzards |
| hurricane | the name for a tropical cyclone that begins in the Atlantic Ocean |
| meteorology | the scientific study of climate and weather patterns |
| natural disaster | great destruction or loss of life that is not caused by human actions |
| prevailing winds | movement of air in the atmosphere that usually blows in a certain direction |
| Saffir-Simpson scale | This rates hurricanes from 1 to 5; the higher the number, the more damage the storm can potentially cause |
| storm surge | a wall of water that is pushed ashore by a storm |
| tornadoes | a violent, spinning windstorm that appears as a funnel-shaped cloud |
| tourism | travel for pleasure rather than business or necessity; also, the business of organizing such travel |
| tropical cyclone | a severe storm with high winds that spiral around a calm center. Depending on where they form,they are also called hurricanes or typhoons. |
| tropical disturbance | a cluster of thunderstorms near the equator that moves with the prevailing winds |
| tropical storm | a disturbance near the equator with winds moving in a circle at speeds of 39 to 73 miles per hour |
| tropical zones | area between the equator and the Tropic of Cancer and between the equator and the Tropic of Capricorn, where the climate is generally hot |
