Water Cycle
water that falls from clouds to Earth's surface
precipitation
the amount of water vapor in the air
humidity
a large body of air with the same temperature and humidity throughout
air mass
A tool used to measure the temperature of air
thermometer
Hurricanes form here:
over warm ocean water
the change from a liquid to a gas
evaporation
the weight of the atmosphere pressing down on Earth's surface
air pressure
the boundary between two air masses, where weather changes happen
front
A tool used to measure the direction of the wind
wind sock or windvane
Tornadoes form here
over land in the midwest
the mixture of gases that surrounds Earth
atmosphere
the condition of the atmosphere at a given place and time
weather
where a cold air mass crashes into a warm air mass, and the warm air gets pushed up; severe weather happens
cold front
A tool used to measure the speed of the wind
anemometer
Tornadoes and hurricanes BOTH form:
a spiral shape
the change of a gas into a liquid
condensation
made of tiny water droplets that are formed by condensation
clouds
where a warm air mass slowly climbs over a cold air mass; mild weather happens
warm front
A tool used to measure the air pressure
barometer
Tornadoes are this size:
less than 1.5 miles wide
water that cannot soak into the ground and instead flows across Earth's surface
runoff
Someone who studies weather
What is a meteorologist
A measure of how hot or cold an object is compared to a reference point.
temperature
A tool used to measure the amount of precipitation that has fallen
rain gauge
Hurricanes are this size:
hundreds of miles wide