5th Science Unit 2 Earth Systems Vocabulary Review

A drawing or picture that shows the current condition of the air outdoors.

Lower-level clouds that cover the sky like a blanket; usually mean rain or snow.

Increase or decrease of heat energy in a substance

Precipitation formed in updrafts of thunderstorms carry raindrops upward into extremely cold areas of the atmosphere

The distance above sea level where air pressure is low.

Distinct forms of matter known in everyday experience: solid, liquid, and gas; also referred to as phases

Matter with a set volume but no set shape.

The movement of water on a surface to areas of lower elevation.

Precipitation formed when tiny ice crystals in clouds stick together.

Large, white puffy clouds; bring little to no precipitation

Matter with a set volume and shape.

An area of land that is always wet and usually has tall grass rather than trees as its vegetation

A tool that shows wind (moving air) direction.

A colorless, odorless, and tasteless liquid living things need to survive.

Change in state of matter from a gas to a liquid.

The temperature at which a substance changes state from a solid to a liquid.

Snowflakes that partially melt when falling through warm air then refreeze when falling through a layer of freezing air.

The layer of gas surrounding planet Earth that is held in place by gravity.

A vast, flat, treeless region in which the subsoil is permanently frozen.

A tool for measuring atmospheric pressure.

Matter with no set volume and no set shape.

The current outdoor conditions.

Change in state of matter from a liquid to a vapor or gas.

The temperature at which a substance changes from a liquid to a solid; 32°F, 0°C

Average weather conditions for a region year after year.

A mixture of gases that is all around us.

Thin clouds found high in the sky; bring no precipitation.

A tool used to measure the speed of wind.

The constant movement of water through the land, air, oceans, and living things.

A tool that measures the amount of rain at a location.

Coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on Earth’s surface; indicates changes in climate.

The amount of water vapor in the air.

An area of land that receives no more than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of precipitation a year.

Rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls from clouds in the sky.

How hot or cold something is.

The force exerted on a surface by the air above it as gravity pulls it to Earth.

Multi-level clouds, extending high into the sky in towers or plumes; thunderclouds

Water in the form of a gas.

A design or sequence that is repeated.

A large open area covered with grass; not enough regular rainfall to support a forest, but enough not to become desert.