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widmanstätten pattern | Space and Astronomy | 1 | a fine interleaving of kamacite and taenite bands/ribbons found in octahedrite irons and some pallasites. |
willamette meteorite | Space and Astronomy | 1 | the largest meteorite discovered in North America, found in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. |
winonaite | Space and Astronomy | 1 | a type of primitive achondrite meteorite. |
weston meteorite | Space and Astronomy | 1 | a meteorite which fell to earth above the town of Weston, Connecticut on December 14, 1807. |
ab-polar current | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any air current moving away from either the North Pole or the South Pole. |
advection | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The horizontal transport of some property of the atmosphere or ocean, such as thermal energy, humidity, or salinity. In the context of meteorology, the related term convection generally refers to vertical transport. |
actinoform | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Describing a collection of low-lying, radially structured clouds with distinct shapes (resembling leaves or wheels in satellite imagery), and typically organized in extensive mesoscale fields over marine environments. They are closely related to and sometimes considered a variant of stratocumulus clouds. |
actinometer | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A scientific instrument used to measure the heating power of radiation, particularly solar radiation. |
adiabat | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A line drawn on a thermodynamic diagram along which an air parcel moves as it ascends or descends through the atmosphere, cooling or warming adiabatically; the path followed by this line depends on whether it is a dry adiabat or a saturated adiabat. |
adiabatic cooling | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An adiabatic process of expansional cooling, in which a rising air parcel decreases in temperature as it increases in volume. |
adiabatic heating | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An adiabatic process of compressional warming, in which a sinking air parcel increases in temperature as it decreases in volume. |
adiabatic lapse rate | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The rate at which a parcel of air changes temperature adiabatically as it moves vertically through the atmosphere. The parcel's moisture content affects this rate: as it rises, a parcel saturated with moisture cools more slowly than a dry parcel because the release of latent heat at the phase change between gas and liquid acts to buffer the temperature decrease caused by the adiabatic expansion. When not otherwise qualified, the term most often refers to the dry adiabatic lapse rate. |
adiabatic process | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any idealized hypothetical process by which energy is transferred between a thermodynamic system and its surroundings only as work, without a corresponding transfer of heat or mass. Most compressible fluids, including gases in the atmosphere, behave approximately adiabatically, such that meteorologists often use the assumption of adiabatic isolation when describing atmospheric systems. In such systems the temperature of a dry parcel of air changes without any exchange of energy with its surroundings: as the parcel rises, the decrease in the surrounding atmospheric pressure enables the air in the parcel to expand in volume, which decreases its internal energy and therefore its temperature (expansional cooling); as the parcel sinks and is compressed, its temperature increases (compressional warming). |
aerobiology | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The branch of biology that studies airborne organic particles, such as bacteria, viruses, fungal spores, pollen grains, and very small insects, which are passively transported by the air. |
aerography | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The production of weather charts. |
aerology | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See atmospheric science. |
aeronomy | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The branch of meteorology that studies the upper regions of the Earth's or other planetary atmospheres, specifically their atmospheric motions, chemical compositions and properties, and interactions with the other parts of the atmosphere and with space. |
aerosol | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in air or another gas. Examples of natural aerosols include mist, clouds, fog, and dust. |
air current | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any concentrated area of winds that develops because of differences in pressure and/or temperature between adjacent air parcels. They are generally divided into horizontal and vertical currents and exist at a variety of scales and in various layers of the atmosphere. |
air mass | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A volume of air defined by its temperature and moisture content. |
air parcel | Space and Astronomy | 1 | In fluid dynamics, any amount of air that remains identifiable throughout its dynamic history while moving with an associated air flow. |
air-mass thunderstorm | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any thunderstorm that is generally weak and usually not severe. Such storms move relatively slowly, are short-lived, and often exist only as single cells (rather than in long continuous lines or complexes), but may still produce lightning and heavy rainfall. They derive their energy from solar radiation and commonly develop in temperate zones during summer afternoons. |
almanac | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An annual publication of calendar events. |
aloft | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Located in the atmosphere at some height (often significantly high) above the Earth's surface. The term is typically used to distinguish an upper-air observation from a surface weather observation, as in "winds aloft". |
altimeter | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A scientific instrument used to measure the altitude of an object (e.g. a weather balloon) with respect to a fixed level such as sea level. |
altocumulus | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A middle-altitude cloud genus characterized by small globular masses, laminae, or rolls, white or gray in color, arranged in patches or extensive sheets at altitudes between 2 and 7 kilometres (6,600 and 23,000 ft), with the individual elements being larger and more distinct than in cirrocumulus but smaller than in stratocumulus. Like other stratocumuliform clouds, altocumulus usually signifies convection aloft. It is one of several classic "warning clouds" recorded by the aviation industry as a signal of developing thunderstorms. |
ac | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A middle-altitude cloud genus characterized by small globular masses, laminae, or rolls, white or gray in color, arranged in patches or extensive sheets at altitudes between 2 and 7 kilometres (6,600 and 23,000 ft), with the individual elements being larger and more distinct than in cirrocumulus but smaller than in stratocumulus. Like other stratocumuliform clouds, altocumulus usually signifies convection aloft. It is one of several classic "warning clouds" recorded by the aviation industry as a signal of developing thunderstorms. |
american meteorological society | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A scientific and professional organization in the United States whose mission is to promote and disseminate information about the atmospheric, oceanic, and hydrologic sciences, and advance technologies, applications, and services related to them. |
ams | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A scientific and professional organization in the United States whose mission is to promote and disseminate information about the atmospheric, oceanic, and hydrologic sciences, and advance technologies, applications, and services related to them. |
anabatic wind | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A wind that blows upslope from the low elevations of a valley to the higher elevations of surrounding hills or mountains as the result of daytime surface heating in the valley, usually at speeds of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) or less but occasionally at much higher speeds. Contrast katabatic wind. |
anemometer | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A scientific instrument used to measure wind speed. |
anticyclone | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any large-scale air mass characterized by outward spiraling winds which circulate around a strong center of high atmospheric pressure. Surface-based anticyclones generally bring about cool, dry air and clear skies and are often implicated in weather phenomena such as fog and haze. Contrast cyclone. |
anticyclonic storm | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any storm system involving an anticyclone, in which winds circulate around a region of high pressure in the direction opposite to that expected around a region of low pressure. Anticyclonic storms rotate clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. |
anticyclogenesis | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The development or strengthening of an anticyclonic circulation in the atmosphere, which may result in the formation or maintenance of a high-pressure area. Contrast cyclogenesis. |
antitriptic wind | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A wind generated by the local topography of a particular place; examples include anabatic winds and katabatic winds. Most such winds are diurnal in character. |
apparent temperature | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See heat index. |
atlantic hurricane | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A tropical cyclone (locally known as a hurricane) that forms in the Atlantic Ocean and achieves one-minute maximum sustained winds exceeding 74 mph (119 km/h; 64 kn). Most of these storms occur between June 1 and November 30 each year, a time period referred to as the Atlantic hurricane season. |
atmometer | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See evaporimeter. |
atmospheric boundary layer | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See planetary boundary layer. |
abl | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See planetary boundary layer. |
atmospheric circulation | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The global-scale movement of air masses within the Earth's atmosphere. All meteorological phenomena are consequences of the atmospheric circulation, which manifests as a network of both latitudinal and longitudinal "cells" of convective activity; together with ocean circulation, these cells are the primary means by which thermal energy from the Sun is redistributed across the Earth's surface. |
atmospheric density | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The density (mass per unit volume) of the Earth's atmosphere. Atmospheric density generally decreases proportionally with elevation above sea level, and also tends to vary with changes in atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity. According to the International Standard Atmosphere, at a pressure of 1 atm and a temperature of 15° C, air has a density of approximately 1.225 kilograms per cubic metre (kg/m3), about 1⁄1000 the density of liquid water. |
ρ | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The density (mass per unit volume) of the Earth's atmosphere. Atmospheric density generally decreases proportionally with elevation above sea level, and also tends to vary with changes in atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity. According to the International Standard Atmosphere, at a pressure of 1 atm and a temperature of 15° C, air has a density of approximately 1.225 kilograms per cubic metre (kg/m3), about 1⁄1000 the density of liquid water. |
atmospheric lake | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A long-lived pool of water vapor. |
atmospheric pressure | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The pressure exerted by the Earth's atmosphere. In most circumstances atmospheric pressure is closely approximated by the hydrostatic pressure caused by the weight of the air above the measurement point, and therefore decreases proportionally as altitude increases. The average atmospheric pressure at sea level on Earth is equal to approximately 1 standard atmosphere (atm), which is defined as exactly 101,325 pascals (760 mmHg). |
p | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The pressure exerted by the Earth's atmosphere. In most circumstances atmospheric pressure is closely approximated by the hydrostatic pressure caused by the weight of the air above the measurement point, and therefore decreases proportionally as altitude increases. The average atmospheric pressure at sea level on Earth is equal to approximately 1 standard atmosphere (atm), which is defined as exactly 101,325 pascals (760 mmHg). |
atmospheric science | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The collective of scientific disciplines that studies the Earth's atmosphere and its processes, including the effects other systems have on the atmosphere and those the atmosphere has on other systems. Meteorology and climatology are sub-disciplines. |
atmospheric sounding | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A measurement of the vertical distribution of physical properties through an atmospheric column, usually including pressure, temperature, wind speed and direction, moisture content, ozone concentration, and pollution, among others. |
atmospheric temperature | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A measure of temperature at one or more locations within the Earth's atmosphere. Temperatures recorded in the atmosphere can vary widely with altitude, humidity, and solar irradiance, among other factors. |
atmospheric tide | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A global-scale periodic oscillation of the Earth's atmosphere caused by gravitational and thermal influences from the Sun and the Moon, analogous to oceanic tides. |
atmospheric window | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any of the ranges of small bandwidths in the electromagnetic spectrum at which the Earth's atmosphere is nearly transparent, i.e. where absorption by atmospheric gases is nearly zero and transmittance approaches unity both for incoming and outgoing radiation. Examples include the optical window from ~0.3 to 0.9 μm, the infrared window from ~8 to 13 μm, and the microwave window at wavelengths longer than ~1 mm. The existence of these windows is vital for the Earth–atmosphere system to be maintained near thermal equilibrium. |
aviation area forecast | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A former message product of the U.S. National Weather Service issued to provide information to pilots and aviation routes about weather conditions across a large regional area within the United States. FAs were issued three times daily, valid for 18 hours, and covered an area the size of several states. They were replaced by Graphic Area Forecasts (GFAs) in 2017. |
fa or arfor | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A former message product of the U.S. National Weather Service issued to provide information to pilots and aviation routes about weather conditions across a large regional area within the United States. FAs were issued three times daily, valid for 18 hours, and covered an area the size of several states. They were replaced by Graphic Area Forecasts (GFAs) in 2017. |
backing | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A change of wind direction in a counterclockwise fashion (e.g. northerly to northwesterly to westerly). Contrast veering. |
backscatter | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The diffuse reflection of waves, particles, or signals back to the same direction from which they originated. Backscattering is the principle underlying all weather radar systems, which can distinguish radar returns backscattered from target aerosols such as raindrops and snowflakes because the strength of the returns depends largely on the size and reflectivity of the targets. |
banana belt | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Any segment of a larger geographic region that typically experiences warmer temperatures than the region as a whole, especially during the local winter season, which may prove favorable for agriculture. |
barograph | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A scientific instrument used to measure and continuously record changes in atmospheric pressure over time. |
baroclinity | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A measure of the misalignment between a pressure gradient and a density gradient in a stratified fluid such as the atmosphere. In the context of meteorology, a baroclinic atmosphere is one in which atmospheric density depends on both temperature and pressure, in contrast to a barotropic atmosphere, in which density depends only on pressure. Areas of high atmospheric baroclinity are generally found in the temperate and polar latitudes and are characterized by the frequent formation of cyclones. |
barotropity | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The close alignment between a pressure gradient and a density gradient in a stratified fluid such as the atmosphere. In the context of meteorology, a barotropic atmosphere is one in which atmospheric density depends only on pressure and is more or less independent of temperature, in contrast to a baroclinic atmosphere. Unlike liquids, gaseous fluids such as the air in the atmosphere are generally not barotropic, but the assumption of barotropity can nonetheless be useful in modeling fluid behavior. Tropical latitudes are more nearly barotropic than the mid-latitudes because air temperature is more nearly horizontally uniform in the tropics. |
barometer | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A scientific instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure. The two most common types are mercury barometers and aneroid barometers. |
barometric pressure | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See atmospheric pressure. |
barrier jet | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A low-level core of high wind speeds that sometimes occurs at altitudes of 1,000–1,500 metres (3,300–4,900 ft) in the vicinity of a mountain range, as a consequence of the deceleration of an airflow as it crosses a major topographic barrier and releases latent heat which changes the local thermodynamics of the flow. |
black ice | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A thin, nearly transparent coating of glaze ice on a solid surface, especially a road or walkway, which because of its transparency is often practically invisible and therefore presents a significant hazard to drivers and pedestrians. |
blizzard | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A severe snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds of at least 35 mph (56 km/h) and blowing snow, typically lasting three hours or more. They can have an immense size, covering hundreds or thousands of square miles, and occur most often in temperate, polar, or mountainous regions during the winter. |
block | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A nearly stationary pattern in the atmospheric pressure field overlying a large geographic area, which effectively "blocks" or diverts the movements of cyclones and other convective systems. These blocks can remain in place for days or weeks, causing the areas affected by them to experience the same kind of weather for extended periods of time. |
blowing dust | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A lithometeor phenomenon that occurs when particles of dust are lifted from the Earth's surface by wind and blown about in clouds or sheets. It is classified as an obstruction to vision in METAR aviation weather observations and is commonly reported if the amount of suspended dust reduces horizontal visibility to 10 kilometres (6 mi) or less. Extreme cases may be called dust storms. |
blowing sand | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A lithometeor phenomenon that occurs when grains of sand are lifted from the Earth's surface by wind and blown about in clouds or sheets. It is classified as an obstruction to vision in METAR aviation weather observations and is commonly reported if the amount of suspended sand reduces horizontal visibility to 10 kilometres (6 mi) or less. Extreme cases may be called sandstorms. |
blowing snow | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Snow blown about by wind, either from falling snow or snow lifted from the surface, to a height of at least 2 metres (6.6 ft), reducing visibility. It is a defining characteristic of blizzards. |
bow echo | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A characteristic radar return from a mesoscale convective system that is shaped like an archer's bow and usually associated with squall lines or lines of convective thunderstorms. The distinct bow shape is a result of the focusing of a strong flow at the rear of the system. Especially strong bow echoes may develop into derechos. |
breeze | Space and Astronomy | 1 | 1. Any generally light wind. |
bulk richardson number | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A dimensionless ratio related to the consumption of turbulence divided by the shear production of turbulence (the generation of kinetic energy caused by wind shear). It is an approximation of the Gradient Richardson Number. |
brn | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A dimensionless ratio related to the consumption of turbulence divided by the shear production of turbulence (the generation of kinetic energy caused by wind shear). It is an approximation of the Gradient Richardson Number. |
bushfire | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See wildfire. |
calm | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A state of the atmosphere in which there is virtually no horizontal motion of the air. It corresponds to force number 0 on the Beaufort scale, with a wind speed less than 1 kn (1.9 km/h). Calm conditions are common in the subtropical high-pressure belts and in the doldrums. |
canadian meteorological and oceanographic society | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The national society of individuals and organizations dedicated to advancing atmospheric and oceanic sciences and related environmental disciplines in Canada, officially constituted in 1967. |
cmos | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The national society of individuals and organizations dedicated to advancing atmospheric and oceanic sciences and related environmental disciplines in Canada, officially constituted in 1967. |
canadian meteorological centre | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Provides forecast guidance to national and regional prediction centres in Canada. |
cmc | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Provides forecast guidance to national and regional prediction centres in Canada. |
canterbury arch | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See Nor'west arch. |
cap cloud | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An approximately stationary cloud on or hovering above an isolated mountain peak. See also pileus and lenticular cloud. |
capacity | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The ability of a wind current to transport material, as measured by the maximum amount of detritus (e.g. silt, sand, and/or gravel) carried past a specific point per unit time. Capacity increases with wind speed and decreases as the particle size of the detrital debris increases. |
castellanus | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A cloud species that displays at least in its upper part cumuliform protuberances resembling the turrets of a castle, giving a crenellated aspect. |
catabatic wind | Space and Astronomy | 1 | See katabatic wind. |
ceiling | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A measure of the height above the Earth's surface of the base of the lowest layer of clouds or obscuring phenomena that covers more than half of the sky (more than four oktas). An "unlimited" ceiling means either that the sky is mostly free of cloud cover or that the clouds are sufficiently high so as not to impede aircraft operation by visual flight rules. |
ceiling balloon | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of weather balloon used by meteorologists to determine the height of the cloud base above ground level during daylight hours by measuring the time it takes for the balloon, released from the ground and rising at a known rate of ascent, to begin to disappear into the clouds. |
ceiling projector | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A type of cloud-height indicator that uses a searchlight to project a beam of light vertically onto a cloud base (similar to a ceilometer), with the height of the illuminated spot then calculated by the observer using a clinometer or alidade. |
ceilometer | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An instrument that uses a laser transmitter or other light source and a collocated receiver to determine the height of a cloud ceiling or cloud base overhead, or to measure the concentration of aerosols within the atmosphere. |
cell | Space and Astronomy | 1 | 1. Any atmospheric circulation feature that is more or less closed, occurring at any of number of scales, including massive latitudinally oriented circulations such as Hadley cells; mesoscale motions that characterize cellular convection and cause the formation of cellular clouds; and storm cells formed by updraft and/or downdraft loops within a thunderstorm. |
cellular cloud | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A mesoscale organization of convective activity in the form of a quasi-regular pattern of clouds behaving as individual convective cells, often stretching horizontally for tens of kilometers. Such patterns may be composed of open or closed cells or both: the open cells consisting of a ring of cumulus with a clear center, and the closed cells filled with stratocumulus surrounded by a clear rim. |
center for analysis and prediction of storms | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Develops techniques for computer-based prediction of high-impact local weather, such as individual spring and winter storms, using Doppler weather radar and other sources. Based in Oklahoma, United States. |
caps | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Develops techniques for computer-based prediction of high-impact local weather, such as individual spring and winter storms, using Doppler weather radar and other sources. Based in Oklahoma, United States. |
central dense overcast | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The large, centralized, contiguous area of thunderstorms surrounding the rotational center of a strong tropical or subtropical cyclone. When a cyclone reaches sufficient intensity, a distinguishable eye may develop within the CDO. The strongest winds and heaviest rainfall are usually found beneath the coldest cloud tops in the CDO. |
cdo | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The large, centralized, contiguous area of thunderstorms surrounding the rotational center of a strong tropical or subtropical cyclone. When a cyclone reaches sufficient intensity, a distinguishable eye may develop within the CDO. The strongest winds and heaviest rainfall are usually found beneath the coldest cloud tops in the CDO. |
central pressure | Space and Astronomy | 1 | The atmospheric pressure at the center of a recognizable high or low-pressure area at any given instant, i.e. the highest pressure in a high or the lowest pressure in a low. |
ceraunometer | Space and Astronomy | 1 | An instrument used for counting the number of lightning discharges within a specific radius. |
chinook wind | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A warm, dry föhn wind formed by a rainstorm dropping its precipitation onto the windward side of a mountain, thus drying the air mass before it blows across the leeward side, drops in elevation, and warms by adiabatic heating. Common in the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada, a chinook can cause temperatures to rise from −48 °C (−54.4 °F) to 9 °C (48.2 °F) in 24 hours, an increase of 57 °C (103 °F). |
circulation | Space and Astronomy | 1 | Common short form of atmospheric circulation. |
cirrocumulus | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A genus of cloud with both stratiform and cumuliform characteristics, signifying atmospheric convection, and appearing as white, patchy, transient sheets of ripples or tufts organized in undulating rows, usually between 5 and 12 km (16,000 and 39,000 ft) above sea level. Though composed mainly of ice crystals, cirrocumulus is distinguished from cirrus and cirrostratus by the presence of small amounts of supercooled liquid water droplets. |
cc | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A genus of cloud with both stratiform and cumuliform characteristics, signifying atmospheric convection, and appearing as white, patchy, transient sheets of ripples or tufts organized in undulating rows, usually between 5 and 12 km (16,000 and 39,000 ft) above sea level. Though composed mainly of ice crystals, cirrocumulus is distinguished from cirrus and cirrostratus by the presence of small amounts of supercooled liquid water droplets. |
cirrus | Space and Astronomy | 1 | A genus of cloud characterized by thin, wispy, feather-like strands that appear white or light grey in color and form at very high altitudes, usually between 5 and 13.7 km (16,000 and 45,000 ft) above sea level. Cirrus clouds often develop from the outflow of cumulonimbus clouds in advance of fronts or thunderstorms, and therefore may indicate the imminent arrival of precipitation. |
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