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 general term for instruments designed to measure the amount of cloudiness.

A graphical aid used in fire weather forecasting to calculate the degree of forest-fire danger (or burning index). Commonly in the form of a circular slide rule, the firedanger meter relates numerical indices of (a) the seasonal stage of foliage, (b) the ...

See evaporation pan.

An empirical curve relating stream discharge or stage at a point on a stream to discharge or stage at one or more upstream points and, possibly. to other parameters. Also called stage relation.

Same as contact anemometer.

Turbulence encountered by aircraft when flying through air space devoid of clouds. Thermals and wind shear are the main causes.

The standard deviation of a sufficiently large number of measurements of the same quantity by the same instrument or method. The non-correctable part of the inaccuracy of an instrument, it represents the limit of measurement precision. The uncertainty of ...

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 ...

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 device for measuring the frequency of occurrence of atmospherics whose intensity is greater than a predetermined level.

Any one of numerous devices for the measurement of either speed alone or of both direction and speed (set and drift) in flowing water.

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

A rain gauge capable of measuring very small amounts of precipitation. Also called micropluviometer, trace recorder.

A device for measuring sea-surface waves. It consists of a weighted pole below which a disk is suspended at a depth sufficiently deep for the wave motion associated with deepwater waves to be negligible. The pole will then remain nearly as if anchored to ...

General term for an instrument used to make direct measurements of visual range or measurements of the physical characteristics of the atmosphere which determine the visible range.

See calorie.

The decrease of an atmospheric variable with height, the variable being temperature, unless otherwise specified.

Situated on the side from which the wind blows.

A thermoelectric thermometer used for measuring air temperature. The name is derived from the fact that the reference thermocouple is placed in an insulated bottle.