Climate and Weather Vocabulary

Study Notes

Climate refers to the average weather conditions in a specific area over an extended period, influencing ecosystems and human activities.
Weather describes the atmospheric conditions at a given time, including temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind.

Climate change indicates a significant shift in climate patterns over time, primarily driven by human activities and natural processes.

Temperature measures the degree of heat or cold in an environment at a specific moment.
Humidity denotes the concentration of water vapor present in the air, affecting comfort levels and weather patterns.

Density represents the mass of a substance per unit volume, crucial in understanding buoyancy and material properties.
Convection is the process where heat causes fluids to rise, facilitating heat transfer in the atmosphere and oceans.

Expand means to spread out, often related to the increase in volume due to heating.
Contract describes the process of shrinking or coming together, typically due to cooling.

The equator is an imaginary line that circles the Earth, dividing it into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, influencing climate and daylight.
Rotation refers to the spinning motion of an object, such as the Earth on its axis.

Orbit describes the path an object takes while traveling around another object, influenced by gravitational forces.

An axis is the invisible line around which an object rotates, fundamental in understanding planetary movements.
The global conveyor belt refers to a large-scale ocean current system that circulates warm and cold water across the globe, crucial for regulating climate.
Deep ocean currents are water movements occurring below a depth of 300 feet, impacting global climate and marine ecosystems.
Surface ocean currents occur in the upper 300 feet of the ocean and are affected by wind patterns, the Earth's rotation, and temperature differences.