Weather and Climate Unit Vocabulary

Weather• Short-term conditions.

Climate• Long-term conditions

(hot/cold, wet/dry)

Latitude• Distance from the equator, north

or south, measured in degrees

Climograph• The display of weather data

over a long period of time

Altitude/Elevation

• Distance above sea level

Convection Current•Hot, less dense air rising, cold, more dense air sinking

Water Vapor• The gas form of water.

Troposphere• The first layer of atmosphere

where weather occurs.

Thermometer• measures air temperature in

degrees Fahrenheit and degrees Celsius.

Barometer•measures air pressure.

Anemometer• measures wind speed

Psychrometer•measures humidity.

Station Model• Shows weather data at a certain

place on the Earth’s surface

Air Pressure• The pressure exerted by air in

a vertical column.

Sea Breeze

•Wind blowing from the sea during the day time

Land Breeze•Wind blowing from land during night time.

Dew Point• Temperature at which water vapor condenses.

Relative Humidity• Amount of water vapor in the air,

compared to how much it could hold.

Saturation• 100% relative humidity

High Pressure System

• Cold and dry weather conditions

Low Pressure System

• Hot and wet weather conditions

Air Mass• 1000 square mile mass of air

with the same characteristics

Fronts/Frontal Boundary

• Place where 2 air masses meet