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the continual movement of water among Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and land surface through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation |
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the process by which water molecules in liquid water escape into the air as water vapor |
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the amount of water vapor in a given volume of air |
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the process by which molecules of water vapor in the air become liquid water |
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the temperature at which condensation begins |
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any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth’s surface |
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a huge body of air that has similar temperature, humidity, and air pressure throughout |
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a warm air mass that forms in the tropics and has low air pressure |
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a cold air mass that forms north of 50° north latitude or south of 50° south latitude and has high air pressure |
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a humid air mass that forms over oceans |
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a dry air mass that forms over land |
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the boundary where unlike air masses meet but do not mix |
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cut off, as in a front where warm air mass is caught between two cooler air masses |
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a swirling center of low air pressure |
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a high-pressure of dry air |
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a violent disturbance in the atmosphere |
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a small storm often accompanied by heavy precipitation and frequent thunder and lightning |
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a sudden spark, or energy discharge, caused when electrical charges jump between parts of a cloud, between nearby clouds, or between a cloud and the ground |
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a rapidly whirling, funnel-shaped cloud that reaches down from a storm cloud to touch Earth’s surface |
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a tropical storm that has winds of about 76 miles per hour or higher. |
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a scientist who studies the causes of weather and tries to predict it |
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