Essential Atmospheric and Hydrological Concepts Explained

• Weather: Weather is estimated as the state of the atmosphere in a place at a particular time. Scientific study of weather is called meteorology.
• The tropopause is the layer between the troposphere and the atmospheric face of the Earth.
• Saturation: Saturation is the maximum vapor the air may contain without reaching condensation.
• Heat Stroke: This term seems incorrect in this context. Assuming it refers to solar radiation absorbed: Heat absorbed is the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface.
• The Cloud: A cloud is a visible mass of water droplets or frozen crystals suspended in the atmosphere, covering the sky in varying degrees.
• Temperature: Temperature is the degree of heat in the air. On a map, it is represented by isotherms.
• The annual temperature range is the difference between the average temperature of the warmest month and the coldest month.
• Air Moisture: Air moisture is the amount of water vapor the air contains, resulting from evaporation.
• Fog: Fog is the suspension of tiny water droplets in the bottom layer of the atmosphere.
• Haze: Haze reduces visibility. It is caused by the presence of large amounts of fine dust particles in the lower layers of the atmosphere.
• Air Pressure: Air pressure depends on the characteristics of the air mass and remains relatively stable throughout the year in a given location.
• Winds: Winds are the horizontal movement of air relative to the surface. They occur as a result of pressure differences and range from high to low pressure areas.
• Precipitation: Precipitation is water falling from clouds, whether in solid or liquid form. It originates from elevated air cooling and condensation. Precipitation may be due to orographic relief, convective warming by land, or the contact front where two air masses of different characteristics meet, forcing the colder air below the warmer air to rise.
• Evaporation: Evaporation is the process of changing into vapor at room temperature.
• Evapotranspiration: Evapotranspiration is the loss of surface moisture from the land due to insolation and plant transpiration.
• Aridity: Aridity is the relationship between heat and moisture in a given area.

Hydrological Terms

• Drought: A drought is a period during which stream flow reaches its lowest level.
• River: A river is a natural water flow that continues to flow into another river, a lake, or the sea.
• Flood: A flood is the time of maximum flow of a river.
• Ria: A ria is an inlet formed when the sea penetrates the mouth of some rivers.
• Spring: A spring is the rise of groundwater to the surface.