CHAPTER 3 Key Terms
Match each of the terms on the left with its definition on the right. Click on the term first and then click on the matching definition. As you match them correctly, they will move to the bottom of the activity.
adiabatic cooling adiabatic warming advection fog air parcel cirrus cloud collision and coalescence condensation condensation nucleus convective uplift convergent uplift cumulonimbus cumulus dew point dry adiabatic rate evaporation evapotranspiration fog frontal uplift hail humidity hydrogen bond hydrologic cycle hygrometer ice- latent heat lifting condensation level (LCL) millibar (mb) moist adiabatic rate negative feedback nimbostratus orographic uplift positive feedback precipitation radiation fog rain shadow relative humidity saturation saturation vapor pressure specific humidity stable atmosphere stratus transpiration unstable atmosphere vapor pressure | A change in the state of water from gas to liquid. A process in which interacting parts in a system stabilize the system. The rate of cooling in a saturated air parcel; usually about 6°C/1,000 m (3.3°F/1,000 ft). A cloud type characterized by low, flat sheets of clouds. An instrument used to measure humidity. A process in which interacting parts in a system destabilize the system. An aggregation of microscopic water droplets and ice crystals suspended in the air. The movement of water within the atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. The water vapor content of the atmosphere, expressed in grams of water per kilogram of air (g/kg). Hard, rounded pellets of ice that precipitate from cumulonimbus clouds with strong vertical airflow. A small particle in the atmosphere, about 0.2 μm in diameter, on which water vapor condenses. The rising of air over mountains. (or dew- The portion of air pressure exerted exclusively by molecules of water vapor. The dry, leeward side of a mountain range. Rain- The rising of air as a result of converging airflow. A body of air of uniform humidity and temperature. A dome- A cloud at or near ground level that reduces visibility to less than 1 km (0.62 mi). A condition in which air parcels are cooler and denser than the surrounding air and will not rise unless forced to do so. The process by which cloud droplets merge to form raindrops. The rising of warm air masses where they meet relatively cold air masses. A change in the state of water from liquid to gas. (or Bergeron process) The process by which ice crystals grow within a cloud to form snow. The combined processes of evaporation and transpiration. The rate of temperature change in an unsaturated parcel of air; 10°C/1,000 m (5.5°F/1,000 ft). The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. (or valley fog) Fog that results when the ground radiates its heat away at night, cooling the air above it to the dew point. The bond between water molecules that results from the attraction between one water molecule’s positive end and another’s negative end. Fog that results from moist air moving over a cold surface, such as a lake or a cold ocean current, that lowers its temperature to the dew point. The ratio of water vapor content to water vapor capacity, expressed as a percentage. Solid or liquid water that falls from the atmosphere to the ground. The point at which an air parcel’s water vapor content is equal to its water vapor capacity. Energy that is absorbed or released during a change in the state of a substance, such as during evaporation or condensation of water. A measure of atmospheric pressure; average sea level pressure is 1013.25 mb. The cooling of an air parcel through expansion. The altitude at which an air parcel becomes saturated. A high cloud with a feathery appearance that is composed of ice crystals. The rising of an air parcel that is warmer and less dense than the surrounding air. A cloud that extends high into the atmosphere and is capable of strong vertical development and of producing severe weather. The loss of water to the atmosphere by plants. A condition in which air parcels rise on their own because they are warmer and less dense than the surrounding air. The warming of an air parcel through compression. The vapor pressure at which saturation occurs. |