6th Grade Science: Unit 3 - Weather and Climate

Weather and Climate Terminology

• Radiation: The transfer of thermal energy through electromagnetic waves.
• Latitude: The distance in degrees north or south of the equator.
• Conduction: The transfer of thermal energy through collisions between particles of matter.
• Albedo: A measure of the reflectivity of a surface.
• Wind: The movement of air from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.

Global Wind Patterns

• Polar easterlies: Cold winds that blow from the east to the west near the North Pole and South Pole.
• Prevailing westerlies: Steady winds that flow from west to east between latitudes 30°N and 60°N, and 30°S and 60°S.
• Trade winds: Steady winds that flow from east to west between 30°N latitude and 30°S latitude.

Ocean Currents

• Coriolis effect: The movement of wind and water to the right or left caused by Earth's rotation.
• Density current: The vertical movement of water caused by differences in density.
• Surface current: A wind-driven current that carries ocean water horizontally across the ocean's surface.
• Upwelling: The vertical movement of water toward the ocean's surface.

Weather and Climate

• Weather: The atmospheric conditions, along with short-term changes, of a certain place at a certain time.
• Air mass: A large area of air that has uniform temperature, humidity, and pressure.
• Front: A boundary between two air masses.
• Climate: The long-term average weather conditions that occur in a particular region.
• Rain shadow: An area of low rainfall on the downwind slope of a mountain.