Vocabulary
Weather
Week 5
Quizlet for Week 5
1. air mass - a large region of the atmosphere where the air has similar properties throughout such as temperature, humidity, and air pressure
2. High pressure system - a whirling mass of cool, dry air; because cool air is more dense than warm air, it sinks. High pressure brings fair weather, sunny skies and light winds. High pressure systems rotate clockwise.
3. Low pressure system - a whirling mass of warm, moist air; because warm air is less dense than cool air, it rises and cooler (more dense) air flows underneath. Low pressure brings storms, strong winds, and changing weather. Low pressure systems rotate counter-clockwise (like hurricanes in the Atlantic).
4. front - a boundary between warm and cold air masses
5. cold front - a boundary between two air masses (one warm, one cold) moving so that the colder air replaces the warmer air
6. warm front - a boundary between two air masses (one warm, one cold) moving so that the warmer air replaces the colder air
7. stationary front - a boundary between two air masses (one warm, one cold) that more or less doesn’t move; a stationary front can wobble back and forth for several hundred miles a day
8. El Niño - a natural oscillation (shift) of the warmest surface water near the equator in the Pacific Ocean eastward toward South America; this impacts weather around the world. Think “opposite”.
9. La Niña - the surface water near the equator in the Pacific Ocean gets cooler; this impacts weather around the world. Think “more”.
Week 4
Quizlet for Week 4
1. convection - transfer of thermal energy by liquids or gases; land and water heat the air above through convection currents
2. direct sunlight - sun rays that strike the Earth with more intensity near the equator
3. indirect sunlight - sun rays that strike the Earth with less intensity due to the tilt of the Earth and the curvature of its surface
4. latitude - the distance north or south of the equator; for example, Raleigh, NC is located at approximately 36°N, which indicates it location North of the equator
5. longitude - the distance east or west of the Prime Meridian
6. global wind - moves across great distances above the Earth; these wind patterns are stable and predictable; examples include Polar Easterlies, Prevailing Westerlies, and Trade Winds
7. Trade Winds - winds that blow East to West toward the equator between 30° N latitude and 30° S latitude; can impact North Carolina weather by moving a hurricane toward the Southeastern United States
8. Prevailing Westerlies - winds that blow West to East toward the poles in both hemispheres between 30° and 60° latitudes; impacts North Carolina weather by moving weather systems from the West toward North Carolina
9. jet stream - a current in the atmosphere located over North America that moves West to East; it changes position North or South seasonally; impacts North Carolina weather by moving weather systems from the West toward North Carolina; additionally its fluctuations to the North can bring warmer temperatures to North Carolina while its fluctuation to the South can bring cooler temperatures to North Carolina
10. Gulf Stream - a warm water surface current in the Atlantic Ocean that moves from the southern tip of Florida up the East Coast then across the Atlantic
Week 3
Quizlet for Week 3
1. wind - air moving horizontally; caused by uneven heating and cooling of the Earth’s surface
2. local wind - moves across small distances close to Earth’s surface; examples include sea breezes and land breezes
3. convection - transfer of thermal energy by liquids or gases; land and water heat the air above through convection currents
4. current - constant movement
5. leeward - side of the mountain not facing the wind; cooled air sinks, air is dry because it has already condensed and precipitated on the windward side. Vegetation is sparse;deserts are found
6. windward - side of the mountain facing the wind (sometimes called wayward side of the mountain); evaporating (heated) air is pushed up by the mountain and it cools,condense, and precipitates frequently therefore vegetation is dense.
7. rainshadow effect - lack of precipitation on the leeward side of the mountain
8. land breeze - a convection current where air flows from land to sea during the night (a result of land heating and cooling at a faster rate than water)
9. sea breeze - a convection current where air flows from sea to land during the day (a result of land heating and cooling at a faster rate than water)
Week 2
Quizlet for week 2
1. condensation - changing from water vapor to a liquid
2. evaporation - changing from liquid to a water vapor
3. precipitation - form of water that falls from clouds to Earth
4. run-off - excess water from falling precipitation or melting precipitating that the soil cannot absorb
5. transpiration - water evaporating from the leaves of plants
6. water cycle - continuous process of water moving from the Earth’s surface to the atmosphere and back to Earth
7. water vapor - water in a gas state
8. cloud - a large collection of tiny water droplets or ice crystals in the atmosphere
9. cirrus - high level clouds that look thin and wispy, like feathers; means “curl of hair”; indicate fair to pleasant weather
10. cumulus - middle level clouds that look puffy like cotton; means “heap” or “pile”; indicate fair weather
11. stratus - low level clouds that look like layers or a gray blanket that covers the sky; means to “spread out”; indicates overcast weather and sometimes produce precipitation; fog is a stratus cloud near the ground
12. cumulonimbus - a dark cloud of great vertical extent charged with electricity; associated with thunderstorms
13. radiation - transfer of thermal energy by electromagnetic waves through places without matter; the Sun's radiation warms Earth's air, land, and water
Week 1
Quizlet for Week 1 - Weather Tools
1. weather - state of the atmosphere at a given time and place; it is described by wind, temperature, cloud cover, moisture in the form of humidity and/or precipitation, and air pressure; weather changes daily, hourly, and seasonally
2. meteorologist - a scientist who studies weather
3. sun - warms the air, water, and land of Earth
4. temperature - measurement in degrees warm or cold; influenced by cloud cover (i.e., generally cooler on cloudy days); measured by a thermometer in degrees Fahrenheit or Celcius
5. wind speed - changes as air pressure changes; how fast the wind is blowing; measured by an anemometer
6. wind direction - reported by the direction from which the wind originates; indicated by a wind vane
7. precipitation - form of water (rain, snow, ice, sleet, hail) that falls from the clouds to Earth; can be measured by a rain gauge
8. air pressure - also known as barometric pressure, it is the weight of the air above the surface of the Earth; it is measured by a barometer
9. cloud cover - fraction of the sky covered by cloudy; data is collected by observation and reported as cloudy, partly cloudy, partly sunny, or clear
10. Humidity - Shown as a percentage and is the amount of moisture in the air
Motion and Design
Motion and Design List 2 quizlet
Motion and Design List 1 quizlet
Human Body Systems Quizlets
Musculoskeletal System quizlet
Circulatory System quizlet
Respiratory System quizlet
Digestive system quizlet
Cells and Nervous System Quizlet
Genetics Quizlet
Ecology Quizlets
Ecology List 4 quizlet
Ecology Week 3 quizlet
Ecology List 2 quizlet
Ecology List 1 quizlet
Weather Unit Quizlets
Air Mass, Winds, and Fronts quizlet
Quizlet for Weather tools
Weather
Week 5
Quizlet for Week 5
1. air mass - a large region of the atmosphere where the air has similar properties throughout such as temperature, humidity, and air pressure
2. High pressure system - a whirling mass of cool, dry air; because cool air is more dense than warm air, it sinks. High pressure brings fair weather, sunny skies and light winds. High pressure systems rotate clockwise.
3. Low pressure system - a whirling mass of warm, moist air; because warm air is less dense than cool air, it rises and cooler (more dense) air flows underneath. Low pressure brings storms, strong winds, and changing weather. Low pressure systems rotate counter-clockwise (like hurricanes in the Atlantic).
4. front - a boundary between warm and cold air masses
5. cold front - a boundary between two air masses (one warm, one cold) moving so that the colder air replaces the warmer air
6. warm front - a boundary between two air masses (one warm, one cold) moving so that the warmer air replaces the colder air
7. stationary front - a boundary between two air masses (one warm, one cold) that more or less doesn’t move; a stationary front can wobble back and forth for several hundred miles a day
8. El Niño - a natural oscillation (shift) of the warmest surface water near the equator in the Pacific Ocean eastward toward South America; this impacts weather around the world. Think “opposite”.
9. La Niña - the surface water near the equator in the Pacific Ocean gets cooler; this impacts weather around the world. Think “more”.
Week 4
Quizlet for Week 4
1. convection - transfer of thermal energy by liquids or gases; land and water heat the air above through convection currents
2. direct sunlight - sun rays that strike the Earth with more intensity near the equator
3. indirect sunlight - sun rays that strike the Earth with less intensity due to the tilt of the Earth and the curvature of its surface
4. latitude - the distance north or south of the equator; for example, Raleigh, NC is located at approximately 36°N, which indicates it location North of the equator
5. longitude - the distance east or west of the Prime Meridian
6. global wind - moves across great distances above the Earth; these wind patterns are stable and predictable; examples include Polar Easterlies, Prevailing Westerlies, and Trade Winds
7. Trade Winds - winds that blow East to West toward the equator between 30° N latitude and 30° S latitude; can impact North Carolina weather by moving a hurricane toward the Southeastern United States
8. Prevailing Westerlies - winds that blow West to East toward the poles in both hemispheres between 30° and 60° latitudes; impacts North Carolina weather by moving weather systems from the West toward North Carolina
9. jet stream - a current in the atmosphere located over North America that moves West to East; it changes position North or South seasonally; impacts North Carolina weather by moving weather systems from the West toward North Carolina; additionally its fluctuations to the North can bring warmer temperatures to North Carolina while its fluctuation to the South can bring cooler temperatures to North Carolina
10. Gulf Stream - a warm water surface current in the Atlantic Ocean that moves from the southern tip of Florida up the East Coast then across the Atlantic
Week 3
Quizlet for Week 3
1. wind - air moving horizontally; caused by uneven heating and cooling of the Earth’s surface
2. local wind - moves across small distances close to Earth’s surface; examples include sea breezes and land breezes
3. convection - transfer of thermal energy by liquids or gases; land and water heat the air above through convection currents
4. current - constant movement
5. leeward - side of the mountain not facing the wind; cooled air sinks, air is dry because it has already condensed and precipitated on the windward side. Vegetation is sparse;deserts are found
6. windward - side of the mountain facing the wind (sometimes called wayward side of the mountain); evaporating (heated) air is pushed up by the mountain and it cools,condense, and precipitates frequently therefore vegetation is dense.
7. rainshadow effect - lack of precipitation on the leeward side of the mountain
8. land breeze - a convection current where air flows from land to sea during the night (a result of land heating and cooling at a faster rate than water)
9. sea breeze - a convection current where air flows from sea to land during the day (a result of land heating and cooling at a faster rate than water)
Week 2
Quizlet for week 2
1. condensation - changing from water vapor to a liquid
2. evaporation - changing from liquid to a water vapor
3. precipitation - form of water that falls from clouds to Earth
4. run-off - excess water from falling precipitation or melting precipitating that the soil cannot absorb
5. transpiration - water evaporating from the leaves of plants
6. water cycle - continuous process of water moving from the Earth’s surface to the atmosphere and back to Earth
7. water vapor - water in a gas state
8. cloud - a large collection of tiny water droplets or ice crystals in the atmosphere
9. cirrus - high level clouds that look thin and wispy, like feathers; means “curl of hair”; indicate fair to pleasant weather
10. cumulus - middle level clouds that look puffy like cotton; means “heap” or “pile”; indicate fair weather
11. stratus - low level clouds that look like layers or a gray blanket that covers the sky; means to “spread out”; indicates overcast weather and sometimes produce precipitation; fog is a stratus cloud near the ground
12. cumulonimbus - a dark cloud of great vertical extent charged with electricity; associated with thunderstorms
13. radiation - transfer of thermal energy by electromagnetic waves through places without matter; the Sun's radiation warms Earth's air, land, and water
Week 1
Quizlet for Week 1 - Weather Tools
1. weather - state of the atmosphere at a given time and place; it is described by wind, temperature, cloud cover, moisture in the form of humidity and/or precipitation, and air pressure; weather changes daily, hourly, and seasonally
2. meteorologist - a scientist who studies weather
3. sun - warms the air, water, and land of Earth
4. temperature - measurement in degrees warm or cold; influenced by cloud cover (i.e., generally cooler on cloudy days); measured by a thermometer in degrees Fahrenheit or Celcius
5. wind speed - changes as air pressure changes; how fast the wind is blowing; measured by an anemometer
6. wind direction - reported by the direction from which the wind originates; indicated by a wind vane
7. precipitation - form of water (rain, snow, ice, sleet, hail) that falls from the clouds to Earth; can be measured by a rain gauge
8. air pressure - also known as barometric pressure, it is the weight of the air above the surface of the Earth; it is measured by a barometer
9. cloud cover - fraction of the sky covered by cloudy; data is collected by observation and reported as cloudy, partly cloudy, partly sunny, or clear
10. Humidity - Shown as a percentage and is the amount of moisture in the air
Motion and Design
Motion and Design List 2 quizlet
Motion and Design List 1 quizlet
Human Body Systems Quizlets
Musculoskeletal System quizlet
Circulatory System quizlet
Respiratory System quizlet
Digestive system quizlet
Cells and Nervous System Quizlet
Genetics Quizlet
Ecology Quizlets
Ecology List 4 quizlet
Ecology Week 3 quizlet
Ecology List 2 quizlet
Ecology List 1 quizlet
Weather Unit Quizlets
Air Mass, Winds, and Fronts quizlet
Quizlet for Weather tools