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