Weather and Meteorology Terms

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Across
  1. 1. A prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity.
  2. 5. The layer of the Earth's atmosphere above the mesosphere, characterized by high temperatures increasing with altitude due to absorption of highly energetic solar radiation.
  3. 7. The climate of a small, specific place within an area as contrasted with the climate of the entire area.
  4. 9. A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water.
  5. 12. Either of the two times in the year, the Summer Solstice and the Winter Solstice, when the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon, marked by the longest and shortest days.
  6. 15. The fraction of solar energy (shortwave radiation) reflected from the Earth back into space, an important aspect of a planet's climate system.
  7. 17. The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, where nearly all weather conditions take place.
  8. 20. Effect The process by which radiation from a planet's atmosphere warms the planet's surface to a temperature above what it would be without its atmosphere.
  9. 21. Line A line of severe thunderstorms that can form along or ahead of a cold front, characterized by intense, short-lived downdrafts and potentially damaging winds.
  10. 23. Layer A layer in the earth's stratosphere containing a high concentration of ozone, which absorbs most of the ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth from the sun.
  11. 24. Effect The effect whereby a mass moving in a rotating system experiences a force (the Coriolis force) acting perpendicular to the direction of motion and to the axis of rotation. This effect causes moving air and water to turn left in the southern hemisphere and turn right in the northern hemisphere and is important in the formation of cyclonic weather systems.
  12. 26. The state of the atmosphere at a place and time as regards heat, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc.
  13. 28. The science that deals with the phenomena of the atmosphere, especially weather and weather conditions.
  14. 29. The layer of gases surrounding Earth, vital for sustaining life and protecting it from harmful radiation.
  15. 30. A mature tropical cyclone that develops in the western part of the North Pacific Ocean between 180° and 100°E, equivalent to a hurricane in the Atlantic.
  16. 33. A flow of fluid around an axis, like a whirlpool or tornado, that can significantly impact weather patterns and systems.
  17. 34. The amount of water vapor present in the air, expressed as a percentage of the amount needed for saturation at the same temperature.
  18. 36. Niña A climate pattern that describes the cooling of surface ocean waters along the tropical west coast of South America, often considered as a counterpart to El Niño.
  19. 38. An instrument used to measure wind speed and direction.
  20. 40. A boundary between two different air masses, leading to stormy weather conditions as they collide.
Down
  1. 2. The process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas or vapor, an essential part of the water cycle.
  2. 3. The layer of the Earth's atmosphere above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere, in which temperature decreases with altitude and it is where most meteors burn up upon entering the atmosphere.
  3. 4. A type of tropical cyclone or severe tropical storm that forms in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, southern Atlantic Ocean, and Gulf of Mexico, characterized by low atmospheric pressure, high winds, and heavy rain.
  4. 6. An instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure, indicating weather changes.
  5. 8. A large-scale air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, associated with stormy weather.
  6. 10. A narrow strip of land with sea on either side, forming a link between two larger areas of land. While not a direct weather term, the geography of an isthmus can significantly affect local climates.
  7. 11. A seasonal prevailing wind in the region of South and Southeast Asia, blowing from the southwest between May and September and bringing rain (the wet monsoon), or from the northeast between October and April (the dry monsoon).
  8. 13. The second major layer of Earth's atmosphere, just above the troposphere and below the mesosphere, known for its ozone layer.
  9. 14. Point The temperature at which air becomes saturated with moisture and dew can form.
  10. 16. The movement caused within a fluid by the tendency of hotter and therefore less dense material to rise, and colder, denser material to sink under the influence of gravity, which consequently results in transfer of heat.
  11. 18. Any form of water, liquid or solid, that falls from the atmosphere and reaches the ground, including rain, snow, sleet, and hail.
  12. 19. A line on a map connecting points of equal atmospheric pressure.
  13. 22. The average weather conditions in a particular area over a long period of time.
  14. 25. A thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in the air in cold conditions, usually overnight.
  15. 27. Niño A climate pattern characterized by the warming of the ocean surface waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, affecting global weather patterns.
  16. 31. A rapidly rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud.
  17. 32. Chill The lowering of body temperature due to the passing-flow of lower-temperature air.
  18. 35. The energy that is radiated or transmitted in the form of rays or waves or particles, including the transfer of heat from the sun to the Earth.
  19. 37. Stream A narrow band of strong winds in the upper levels of the atmosphere that influence weather patterns.
  20. 39. The time or date (twice each year) at which the sun crosses the celestial equator, when day and night are of approximately equal length (about September 22 and March 20).