Atmosphere and Air Current Vocabulary

Definition: the bouncing back of a wave when it hits a surface through which it cannot pass.

• absorption

• upwelling

• radiation

• reflection

Definition: warming that results when solar radiation is trapped by the atmosphere.

• greenhouse effect

• coriolis effect

• atmosphere

• weather

Definition: the upward movement of ocean water toward the surface as a result of diverging currents.

• surface current

• downwelling

• upwelling

• gyres

Definition: movement of ocean water that occurs in depths too great to be affected by surface winds and is generated by differences in water temperature and salinity.

• surface current

• upwelling

• coriolis effect

• density current

Definition: large-scale patterns of water circulation

• upwelling

• westerlies

• gyres

• wind

Definition: the process or action by which one thing absorbs or is absorbed by another

• absorption

• reflection

• weather

• circulation

Definition: the atmospheric conditions, along with short-term changes, of a certain place at a certain time.

• climate

• weather

• wind

• atmosphere

Definition: the second-lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere (it is above the troposphere).

• stratosphere

• troposphere

• mesosphere

• ionosphere

A wind that blows from the land to the sea due to local temperature and pressure differences.

• coriolis effect

• land breeze

• trade winds

• jet stream

The long-term average weather conditions that occur in a particular region.

• altitude

• wind

• climate

• weather