A hypothetical "body" whose surface absorbs no electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength. An idealization exactly opposite to that of the black body. In nature, no true white bodies are known. Moist white pigments exhibiting high reflectivity for visibl ...

An evaluation, according to set procedures, of those weather elements which are most important for aircraft operations. Always includes cloud height or vertical visibility, sky cover, visibility, obstructions to vision, certain atmospheric phenomena, and ...

A mercury barometer designed for use aboard ship. The instrument is of the fixed-cistern type (see Kew barometer). The mercury tube is constructed with a wide bore for its upper portion and with a capillary bore for its lower portion. This is done to incr ...

General name for an instrument which measures the earth's magnetic field intensity.

Wind with a speed between 7 and 10 knots (8 and 12 mph), Beaufort scale number 3.

A radiosonde which transmits the indication of the meteorological sensing elements in the form of a code consisting of combinations of dots and dashes.

Difference between the instantaneous wind velocity at a point and the mean wind velocity taken over a given time interval. Also called fluctuation velocity.

A type of precipitation composed of unbranched crystals in the form of needles, columns, or plates. Usually has a very slight downward motion and may fall from a cloudless sky.

A reflecting type telescope with a 45

See feed.

A hygrometer which uses a transducing element whose electrical properties are a function of atmospheric water vapor content. The humidity strip and carbon-film hygrometer element are examples of such a transducer.

Video Display Terminal. An input and display device which includes a keyboard and a screen and allows a human to communicate with a computer.

See radiosonde commutator.

A type of cloud height indicator which uses a searchlight to project vertically a narrow beam of light onto the cloud base. The height of the cloud is determined using a clinometer, located at a known distance from the ceiling light, to measure the angle ...

Part of a computer word that has meaning in itself, often, a byte.

The record of an aneroid barograph.

A rain gauge or array of rain gauges designed to measure the inclination and direction of falling rain.

A thermometer consisting of a clock mechanism the speed of which is a function of temperature.

in United States weather observing practice, the highest "instantaneous" wind speed recorded at a station during a specified period, usually the 24-hour observation day. Therefore, a peak gust need not be a true gust of wind.

A large body of air having similar horizontal temperature and moisture characteristics.