atmosphere: The envelope of gases surrounding Earth, another planet or a moon.
climate: The weather conditions that typically exist in one area, in general, or over a long period.
climate change: Long-term, significant change in the climate of Earth. It can happen naturally or in response to human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels and clearing of forests.
cloud: A plume of molecules or particles, such as water droplets, that move under the action of an outside force, such as wind, radiation or water currents. (in atmospheric science) A mass of airborne water droplets and ice crystals that travel as a plume, usually high in Earth’s atmosphere. Its movement is driven by winds. (in computing) A network of computers (hardware), known as servers, which are connected to the internet. They can be used to store data and computer programs (software) that can be accessed by one or many people at once, and from anywhere in the world.
cyclone: A strong, rotating vortex, usually made of wind. Notable examples include a tornado or hurricane.
eddy: A circular motion that develops in some liquid or gas and that moves in a direction opposite to the main current. This may create a whirlpool.
fire: The burning of some fuel, creating a flame that releases light and heat.
fire tornado: (also known as a firenado) A true tornado that can suddenly develop from conditions that accompany a wildfire. These cyclones stretch down from a rotating cloud base above. They are different from firewhirls — far smaller, twirling whirlwinds of fiery debris that often rise up from a blaze on the ground.
firenado: A true tornado that can suddenly develop from conditions that accompany a wildfire. These cyclones stretch down from a rotating cloud base above. They are different from firewhirls — far smaller, twirling whirlwinds of fiery debris that often rise up from a blaze on the ground.
hurricane: A tropical cyclone that occurs in the Atlantic Ocean and has winds of 119 kilometers (74 miles) per hour or greater. When such a storm occurs in the Pacific Ocean, people refer to it as a typhoon.
moisture: Small amounts of water present in the air, as vapor. It can also be present as a liquid, such as water droplets condensed on the inside of a window, or dampness present in clothing or soil.
parallel: An adjective that describes two things that are side by side and have the same distance between their parts. In the word “all,” the final two letters are parallel lines. Or two things, events or processes that have much in common if compared side by side.
simulator: A device that attempts to mimic the form or function of something. A flight simulator, helps airline pilots practice flying from the safety of a cockpit on the ground. Computers display what the pilot would see on the dials and out of the windows in reaction to each action he or she takes.
spawn: To quickly cause something to come into being. (in biology) To release or fertilize eggs in an aquatic environment.
supercell: (in atmospheric science) A weather system with strong rotating clouds that is fueled by a long-lasting updraft of air. Such systems can generate hail — or even tornadoes.
Texas: The second largest state in the United States, located along the southern border with Mexico. It is about 1,270 kilometers (790 miles) long and covers an area of 696,000 square kilometers (268,581 square miles).
tornado: A violently rotating column of air extending from the ground to a thunderstorm above.
tropical cyclone: A strong, rotating storm. These usually form over tropical areas around the equator where the water is warm. Tropical cyclones have strong winds of more than 119 kilometers (74 miles) per hour and usually have heavy rain. Large ones in the Atlantic are known as hurricanes. Those in the Pacific are termed typhoons.
typhoon: A tropical cyclone that occurs in the Pacific or Indian oceans and has winds of 119 kilometers (74 miles) per hour or greater. In the Atlantic Ocean, such storm are referred to as hurricanes.
virtual: Being almost like something. An object or concept that is virtually real would be almost true or real — but not quite. The term often is used to refer to something that has been modeled — by or accomplished by — a computer using numbers, not by using real-world parts. So a virtual motor would be one that could be seen on a computer screen and tested by computer programming (but it wouldn’t be a three-dimensional device made from metal). (in computing) Things that are performed in or through digital processing and/or the internet. For instance, a virtual conference may be where people attended by watching it over the internet.
vortex: (plural: vortices) A swirling whirlpool of some liquid or gas. Tornadoes are vortices, and so are the tornado-like swirls inside a glass of tea that’s been stirred with a spoon. Smoke rings are donut-shaped vortices.
waterspout: A rotating whirlwind of misty air. These can form either of two ways. Some are true tornadoes that emerge from rotating clouds in a thunderstorm. These either form over water or travel from land to a nearby body of water. Another type can form on non-stormy days. Unlike tornadoes that come down from a cloud, these whirlwinds tend to form above water and then rise toward clouds. They tend to develop where winds are light and they travel little.
weather: Conditions in the atmosphere at a localized place and a particular time. It is usually described in terms of particular features, such as air pressure, humidity, moisture, any precipitation (rain, snow or ice), temperature and wind speed. Weather constitutes the actual conditions that occur at any time and place. It’s different from climate, which is a description of the conditions that tend to occur in some general region during a particular month or season.
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