IS Short Quiz

• Temperature


  The measure of the hotness or coldness of an object
• Air Pressure


  The force that air molecules exert on objects and surfaces
• Wind


  Air that is moving from high pressure to low pressure
• Humidity


  Measure of the amount of water vapor in the air
• Precipitation


  Any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls to the Earth's surface
• Visibility


  Measure of the distance at which an object or light can be clearly discerned
• Weather instruments


  • Hygrometer
  • Wind vane
  • Rain gauge
  • Thermometer
  • Anemometer
  • Barometer
• Weather elements


  • Precipitation
  • Temperature
  • Wind speed
  • Air pressure
  • Wind direction
  • Humidity
• Clouds


  • Are noticeable formation of water droplets and/or ice crystals held in the atmosphere that can take on a wide range of sizes and shapes
  • Precipitation, fog, snow, or hail can accompany any clouds
• Astronomy: Studying clouds in other planets provide information about climate and history
• Clouds


  • Are described using a system that uses Latin terms to characterize the presence of clouds as seen by a ground observer
  • The four major classes are: cumulus, stratus, cirrus, and nimbus
• Cirro-


  curl of hair
• Cumulus Clouds


  • These look like fluffy, white cotton balls or cauliflower in the sky
  • If they do not get very tall, they are indicators of fair or good weather
  • If they do grow tall, they can turn into thunderstorms
• Stratus Clouds


  • Look like flat sheets of clouds
  • These are low-level clouds, have a uniform gray color, and can cover most of the sky
  • Often bring light mist or drizzle
  • Can create fog when formed at or near the ground
• Cirrus Clouds


  • Wispy clouds made of long strands of ice crystals that are described as feathery, hair-like, or layered in appearance
  • Typically found at heights greater than 6,000 meters
• Nimbus Clouds


  • Are dark, dense, and low clouds in which precipitation is falling from it
  • Sky is usually dark when nimbus clouds appear and indicates a rainy day
• Fog is made up of many very tiny water droplets
• When the air close to the ground is cooled, water vapor condenses into tiny liquid water droplets, which are suspended in the air
• Clouds


  • Further categorized depending on the height of the cloud base
  • Cloud names with prefix cirr- are found at high levels, while cloud names with prefix alto- are found at middle levels
• Cloud cover


  • Significantly influence air and surface temperatures
  • During the day, clouds reflect incoming sunlight
  • Cloudy nights are generally warmer than clear nights