Meteorology

Meteorology

A database of terms pertaining to the scientific study of the atmosphere.

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Meteorology

secondary front

Weather; Meteorology

A front that may form within a baroclinic cold air mass, which itself is separated from a warm air mass by a primary frontal system. The most common type is the secondary cold front.

spectral diffusivity

Weather; Meteorology

A form of eddy viscosity or eddy diffusivity that varies with eddy size. For a spectrum of turbulent eddy sizes there is a spectrum of diffusivities. By integrating over all eddy sizes and ...

scattering function

Weather; Meteorology

A function characterizing the angular distribution of scattered radiation in terms of the scattering angle; usually used in its normalized form as the phase function.

A frost-preventive measure used in orchards. Properly, it means the production of heavy smoke from the burning of fossil fuels intended to prevent radiational cooling, but the term is applied to both ...

slantwise convection

Weather; Meteorology

A form of convection driven by a combination of gravitational and centrifugal forces. Slantwise convection can occur in baroclinic flows in which the slantwise-upward displacement of air parcels, ...

salt seeding

Weather; Meteorology

A form of cloud seeding in which salt particles are released into the atmosphere with the objective of increasing precipitation. The salt particles are hygroscopic and readily condense water and grow ...

salt fingering

Weather; Meteorology

A form of double-diffusive convection that occurs when warm, salty water overlies cold freshwater. A parcel of freshwater moved upward will gain heat more quickly than it gains salt and so will ...