Convection: Motions in a fluid that transport and mix the properties of the fluid. These properties could be heat and/or moisture. When used to imply only upward vertical motion, it is then the opposite of subsidence.

 

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Convection: Motions in a fluid that transport and mix the properties of the fluid. These properties could be heat and/or moisture. When used to imply only upward vertical motion, it is then the opposite . . . View Full Definition

Level Of Free Convection (LFC): The level at which a parcel of saturated air becomes warmer than the surrounding air and begins to rise freely. This occurs most readily in a conditionally unstable atmosphere.

Subsidence: A sinking or downward motion of air, often seen in anticyclones. It is most prevalent when there is colder, denser air aloft. It is often used to imply the opposite of atmospheric convection.

Tropical Disturbance: An area of organized convection, originating in the tropics and occasionally the subtropics, that maintains its identity for 24 hours or more. It is often the first developmental stage of an . . . View Full Definition

Lithospheric Plate: A large slab of the lithosphere that can be moved by convection current motion within the mantle.

Skew T-Log P Diagram: A thermodynamic diagram, using the temperature and the logarithm of pressure as coordinates. It is used to evaluate and forecast air parcel properties. Some values that can be determined are . . . View Full Definition

Radiation: The process by which energy is propagated through any medium by virtue of the wave motion of that medium. Electromagnetic radiation, which emits heat and light, is one form. Sound waves are another.

Mixed Layer: It is the upper portion of the boundary layer in which air is thoroughly mixed by convection. In oceanography, it is the layer of the water that is mixed through wave action or thermohaline . . . View Full Definition

Cumuliform: Clouds composed of water droplets that exhibit vertical development. The density of the droplets often blocks sunlight, casting shadows on the earth's surface. With increasing vertical heigh . . . View Full Definition

Cape: Acronym for Convective Available Potential Energy. The amount of energy available to create convection, with higher values increasing the possibility for severe weather.