Weather & Climate

air pressure the weight of air

humidity a measure of the amount of water in the air

precipitation any form of water that falls from clouds, such as rain or snow

evaporation the process by which liquid changes into a gas

condensation the process by which a gas changes back into a liquid

air mass a large body of air that has nearly the same temperature and humidity throughout

front the boundary between air masses

climate the average of all weather conditions through all seasons over a period of time

microclimate the climate of a very small area

El Niño a short-term climate change that occurs every two to ten years

greenhouse effect process by which the Earth’s atmosphere absorbs heat

global warming the hypothesized rise in Earth’s average temperature from excess carbon dioxide