| A | B |
|---|
| absolute instability | the condition of air that has an enviromental lapse rate that is greater than the dry abiabatic rate |
| wet adiabatic rate | the rate of adiabatic temperature change in saturated air |
| absolute stability | the condition of air that has an enviromental lapse rate that is less than the wet abiabatic rate |
| adiabatic temperature | the cooling or warming of air caused when air is allowed to expand or contract and not due to heat |
| condensation | is the change of the physical state of aggregation of matter from gaseous phase into liquid phase |
| convergence | the approach toward a definite value |
| deposition | the process of gas transformation into solid |
| dewpoint | is the temperature to which a given parcel of air must be cooled, at constant barometric pressure, for water vapor to condense into water. |
| dry adiabatic rate | the rate of adiabatic cooling or warming in unsaturated air |
| entrainment | a phenomenon of the atmosphere |
| evaporation | is the process by which molecules in a liquid state become gaseous |
| frontal wedging | the lifing of air resulting when cool air acts as a barrier over which warmer, lighter air will rise |
| humidity | is the amount of water vapor in the air |
| hydrologic cycle | the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth |
| hygrometer | instruments used for measuring humidity |
| latent heat | is the amount of energy in the form of heat released or absorbed by a substance during a change of phase |
| mixing ratio | the mass or water vapor in a unit mass of dry air |
| orographic | type of lifting that occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain |
| relative humidity | is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor that exists in a gaseous mixture of air and water. |
| saturation point | is the temperature to which a given parcel of air must be cooled, at constant barometric pressure, for water vapor to condense into water |
| psychrometer | instrument on a sling used to measure humidity in the air |
| stable air | air that resists vertical displacement |
| sublimation | the change from solid to gas, while at no point becoming a liquid. |
| transpiration | is the evaporation of water from plants |
| unstable air | air that does not resist vertical displacement |
| vapor pressure | is the pressure of a vapor in equilibrium with its non-vapor phases |
| absolute humidity | is the quantity of water in a particular volume of air |
