Weather Conditions & Measurements
State of the atmosphere at a given time and place
Weather
A large section of the atmosphere with the same temperature and humidity throughout
Air mass
A powerful wind storm with a whirling funnel-shaped cloud and extremely low pressure
Tornado
Average weather of a region over a long period of time
Force of air against a unit of area
Air pressure
A boundary ahead of a warm air mass that is pushing out and riding over a cold air mass
Warm front
A severe tropical storm with high winds that revolve around an eye
Hurricane
The coldest climate zone. Temperatures below freezing. Not much precipation.
Polar climate zone
Amount of water vapor in the air
Humidity
A boundary ahead of a cold air mass that is pushing out and wedging under a warm air mass.
Cold front
What is thunder?
Air heated from lightning expands so quickly that it causes a sound wave we call thunder.
Hottest climate zone. Near the equator. Contains the rain forest.
Tropical climate zone.
Instrument used to measure air pressure
Barometer
A line on a weather map connecting areas of equal air pressure.
Isobar
How is lightning formed?
Air moves up and down in a thunderhead causing electric charges to build up in different parts of the cloud. The charges move quickly from one part of the cloud to another or to the ground.
The climate zone where we live. Four seasons. Temperatures generally above freezing.
Temperate climate zone
Instrument used to measure wind speed
Anemometer
What ways are weather data collected?
-Weather stations
-Weather balloons
-Radar
What two things does a hurricane need to form?
Heat and moisture (humidity)
Factors that affect climate:
- Angle at which sunlight hits the earth.
- Altitude. How high a place is above sea level.
- The nearness of large bodies of water.