Earth Science - Chapter 11 - Vocabulary

The transfer of thermal energy by electromagnetic waves.

A layered sheetlike cloud that covers much or all of the sky in a given area.

All solid and liquid forms of water - including rain, snow, sleet, and hail - that fall from clouds.

The transfer of thermal energy by the movement of heated material from one place to another.

The process by which a cooling gas changes into a liquid and releases thermal energy.

The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere at a given location on Earth's surface.

The temperature to which air is cooled at a constant pressure to reach saturation, then condensation can occur.

Layer above the troposphere - mostly concentrated ozone.

Layer closest to the Earth - where weather happens.

Outermost layer of atmosphere with no clear boundary at the top - satellites dwell there.

High clouds made up of ice crystals that form at heights of 6000 m.

A cloud formation that occurs when warm, moist air is forced to rise up the side of a mountain.

The layer that is located the menopause; oxygen atoms absorb solar radiation so temperatures rise.

The ratio of water vapor in the air compared with the amount that volume of air can actually hold.

The layer above the stratopause - little solar radiation is absorbed so temperature goes down.

An increase in temperature with height, which inverts the temperature-altitude relationship.

Cloud form that has puffy, lumpy looking clouds that usually occur below 2000 m.

The point when water molecules leaving the water's surface equals the rate of water molecules returning to the surface.

The transfer of thermal energy between objects in contact by the collisions between the particles in the objects.

When cloud droplets collide and form larger droplets, then when too heavy they fall as precipitation.

The stored energy in water vapor that is not release to warm the atmosphere until condensation takes place.