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

An estimate of the temperature of an incandescent body, determined by observing the wavelength at which it is emitting with peak intensity (its color) and using that wavelength in Wien's law.

Precipitation caused by the ascent of moist air over an orographic barrier such as a Mountain range.

Closed, curved, flexible tube of elliptic cross section which is deformed, according to type, by variations of atmosphere spheric pressure or temperature and so provides a measurement of the particular parameter.

A computed characteristic of a particular river basin, expressed as the time difference between the time-center of mass of rainfall and the time-center of mass of resulting runoff.

An instrument for the measurement of the net flux of downward and upward total (solar and terrestrial) radiation through a horizontal surface.

Ragged low clouds, usually stratus fractus. Most often applied when such clouds are moving rapidly beneath a layer of nimbostratus.

A temperature scale with the ice point at 273 degrees and boiling point of water at 373 degrees. It is intended to approximate the Kelvin temperature scale with sufficient accuracy for many sciences, notably meteorology.

The interval between the lower and upper measuring limits of an instrument, i.e. a thermometer with a range of -35 to 50

A radiosonde whose carrier wave is switched on and off in such a manner that the interval of time between the transmission of signals if a function of the magnitude of the meteorological elements being measured.

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

A unit of energy defined as the heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. It is equal to 252.1 calories or to 1055 joules.

Anemometer which generates an electrical contact output with a frequency proportional to wind speed.

An instrument which measures the instantaneous rate at which rain is falling on a given surface. Also called a rate-of-rainfall gauge.

A recording anemometer.

The record of an aneroid barograph.

A direct-vision nephoscope which is constructed in the following manner: a comb consisting of a crosspiece containing equispaced vertical rods is attached to one end of a column eight to ten feet long and is supported on a mounting that is free to rotate ...

Name sometimes used in place of pyranometer as a generic term.

The actual time during which physical events take place.

A pressure-operated switching device used in a radiosonde. In operation, the expansion of an aneroid capsule causes an electrical contact to scan a radiosonde commutator composed of conductors separated by insulators.