| A | B |
|---|
| ozone | a gas formed by the addition of a third oxygen atom to an oxygen molecule |
| troposphere | the layer closest to Earth's surface |
| stratosphere | a layer of the atmosphere made primarily of concentrated ozone |
| mesosphere | the third highest layer of the atmosphere from Earth's surface where temperature decreases as elevation increases |
| thermosphere | the fourth layer of the atmosphere that contains only a minute portion of the atmosphere's mass |
| exosphere | the outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere that contains helium and hydrogen |
| radation | the transfer of energy through space by visible light |
| conduction | the transfer of energy that occurs when molecules collide through contact |
| convection | the transfer of energy by the flow of a heated substance |
| temperature | a measurement of how rapidly or slowly molecules move around |
| heat | the transfer of energy that occurs because of a difference in temperature between substances |
| dew point | the temperature to which air must be cooled at constant pressure to reach saturation |
| condensation | when matter changes state from a gas to a liquid |
| lifted condensation level | the height at which condensation occurs |
| temperature inversion | an increase in temperature with height in an atmospheric layer |
| humidity | the amount of water vapor in air |
| relative humidity | the ratio of water vapor in a volume of air relative to how much water vapor that volume of air is capable or holding |
| condensation nuclei | small particles in the atmosphere around which cloud droplets can form |
| orographic lifting | the method of cloud formation |
| stability | the ability of an air mass to resist rising |
| latent heat | stored energy |
| coalescence | when cloud droplets collide and join together to form a larger droplet |
| precipitation | includes all forms of water, both liquid and solid, that fall from clouds |
| water cycle | the constant movement of water between the atmosphere and Earth's surface |
| evaporation | the process of water changing from a liquid to a gas |
