Meteorology: Random Listings 

A motorlike device containing a rotor and a stator and capable of converting an angular position into an electrical signal, or an electrical signal into an angular position. When several synchros are correctly connected, all of the rotors will align thems ...

An instrument for measuring radiant energy. See actinometer, Dines radiometer, photometer, Tulipian radiometer.

The visibility along an identified runway, determined from a specified point on the runway with the observer facing in the same direction as a pilot using the runway. Compare to runway visible range.

An atmospheric sounding instrument which is supported by a captive balloon and used to obtain temperature and humidity data from the ground level to a height of a few thousand feet. The data is telemetered to the ground through a wire cable.

An absolute pyhrliometer, developed by C.G. Abbott, in which the radiation-sensing element is a blackened water-calorimeter.

Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory. Programable read-only memory which can be erased, usually by ultraviolet light, and re-programmed.

A measure of long-term precipitation effectiveness. The ratio of the normal annual rainfall to the normal annual evaporation.

An instrument used to measure changes in the level of the water in an evaporation pan. The gauge is normally placed in a Stillwell and adjusted so that the point of the hook just breaks the water surface. The change in water level is read on the attached ...

The probability distribution of random errors, typically a normal distribution with a zero mean.

A numbering system using a base number of 16 and including the ten decimal digits (0 to 9) along with six alpha digits (A to F). Thus. a digit is available to represent each of the possible values of a 4-bit binary digit.

In nautical terminology, a contraction for "weather glass" (a mercury barometer).

An absolute instrument developed by K. Angstrom for the measurement of direct solar radiation. The radiation receiver station consists of two identical manganin strips whose temperatures are measured by attached thermocouples. One of the strips is shaded, ...

A feeble oscillatory disturbance of the earth's crust, detectable only by very sensitive seismographs. Certain types of microseisms seem to be closely correlated with pressure disturbances. See microbarm.