Air and Weather

Air

the invisible mixture of gases surrounding the Earth

Air Pressure

the force with which air presses against surfaces

Atmosphere

the blanket of gases surrounding the Earth, including the air we breathe

Forecast

a statement about what the weather should be like during the next few days

Isobar

a line on a weather map connecting places of equal air pressure

Meteorologist

a scientist who studies the Earth's atmosphere to report and predict the weather

Molecules

a small particle made up of two or more atoms

Vapor

water in the form of gas

Weather

the local condition of the atmosphere, such as hot, rainy, windy, or stormy

Meteorology

the discipline dealing with the Earth's air, especially the movements and events that cause weather

Barometer

an instrument which measures air pressure at a particular location

Millibar

a unit by which air pressure is measured

Aneroid Barometer

a small modern barometer which measures changes in air pressure, causing a pointer to move along a scale

Air Mass

a large body of air in the atmosphere that has about the same humidity and temperature

Dew Point

the temperature at which water vapor turns into water droplets

Evaporation

the process by which a liquid is changed into a vapor or gas

Humidity

the amount of water vapor in the air

Precipitation

moisture condensed from vapor by cooling, such as dew, rain, hail, or snow

Cirrus

a thin, high, featherlike cloud forming very high in the atmosphere

Convection

the upward movement of air caused by heat from the Earth; the air cools as it rises, then sinks back toward Earth

Front

the boundary between two air masses

Stratus

a flat, sheetlike rain cloud spreading over the sky

Cumulonimbus

a rain-producing cloud with an anvil-shaped top

Cumulus

a fair-weather cloud rounded on the top and flat on the bottom

Isotherm

a line on a weather map connecting places having the same temperature

Lightning

discharge of electricity between clouds or between clouds and the ground, seen as a flash of light

Thunder

a loud noise caused by lightning expanding and contracting the air