- Industry: Weather
- Number of terms: 60695
- Number of blossaries: 0
- Company Profile:
The American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, AMS has a membership of more than 14,000 professionals, ...
Phenomenon particularly associated with smog episodes in cities such as Denver, Colorado. High concentrations of particulate matter suspended in the atmosphere lead to light scattering, resulting in a reduction in visibility and a reddish-brown sky coloration.
Industry:Weather
Organic compound of formula C6H6 consisting of a symmetrical six-membered ring structure. Benzene is the parent compound of the aromatic group of compounds, consisting of toluene, the xylenes, etc. , which all exhibit the benzene structure. Benzene is a major component of gasoline and is emitted into the atmosphere as a result of evaporation and incomplete fossil fuel combustion.
Industry:Weather
Period of 48 consecutive hours in which at least 46 hourly readings have had temperatures not less than 20°C and relative humidity not less than 75%. The occurrence of this period has been widely used as a criterion for issuing warnings for the onset of potato blight.
Industry:Weather
One possible scenario often used to generate climate change predictions and evaluate potential impacts. The “business as usual” scenario implies that no actions specifically directed at limiting greenhouse emissions will be taken by governments, companies, or individuals.
Industry:Weather
One of the three commonly detectable points of zero polarization of skylight, neutral points, along the vertical circle through the sun; the other two are the Arago point and Babinet point. This neutral point, discovered by Brewster in 1840, is located about 15°–20° directly below the sun; hence it is difficult to observe because of the glare of the sun.
Industry:Weather
One of several different treatments of band absorption used to approximate the transmission of narrowband radiation through atmospheric gases.
Industry:Weather
Ocean currents with dynamics determined by the presence of a coastline. They fall into two categories: 1) western boundary currents, which are narrow, deep-reaching, and fast-flowing currents, not unlike jet streams, associated with current instability and eddy shedding; and 2) eastern boundary currents, which are shallow, cover a wider region, are of moderate strength, and are often associated with coastal upwelling and a subsurface countercurrent along the continental slope. Both are integral parts of the circulation in oceanic gyres. The rotation of the earth causes an accumulation of energy on the western side, which has to be dissipated in boundary currents; this gives the western boundary currents typical widths of 100 km and typical speeds of 2 m s−1 and causes them to shed eddies frequently to increase the dissipation of energy. No similar requirement of energy dissipation exists on the eastern side, so eastern boundary currents can be broad and slow. Their special character as a boundary current results from coastal upwelling, which brings the thermocline to the surface and as a result produces a temperature front and an associated geostrophic maximum in the current speed, known as the coastal jet. Because of the upwelling, eastern boundary currents are atmospheric heat sinks. Western boundary currents are atmospheric heat sinks if they move cold water toward the equator, which occurs in the subpolar gyres, and atmospheric heat sources where they move tropical water into temperate regions, as in the subtropical gyres.
Industry:Weather
On a flood hydrograph, a measure of the duration of direct storm runoff.
Industry:Weather
