Climate Vocabulary

all weather conditions for a given location over a period of time

• weather

• climate

• precipitation

• current

the result of Earth's rotation on weather patterns and ocean currents. The Coriolis effect makes storms swirl clockwise in the Southern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere.

• Coriolis effect

• current

• thermohaline circulation

• Gulf Stream

steady, predictable flow of fluid within a larger body of that fluid

• gravity

• tide

• current

• rain shadow

ocean conveyor belt system in which water moves between the cold depths and warm surface in oceans throughout the world

• tide

• theromhaline circulation

• Coriolis effect

• circulation

rise and fall of the ocean's waters, caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun

• weather

• rain shadow

• current

• tide

height above or below sea level

• elevation

• weather

• ciruclation

• elevation

all forms in which water falls to Earth from the atmosphere

• rain shadow

• snow

• precipitation

• loess

dry land on the side of a mountain facing away from prevailing winds

• circulation

• rain shadow

• desert

• atmosphere

state of the atmosphere, including temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, and cloudiness

• weather

• climate

• convergence zone

• humidity

layers of gases surrounding a planet or other celestial body.

• Intertropical Convergence Zone

• monsoon

• dust

• atmosphere