See hydrologic accounting.

(1) The initial component or the sensing element of a measuring system. For example, the receiver of a rain gauge is the funnel which captures the rain and the receiver of a thermoelectric thermometer is the measuring thermocouple. (2) An instrument used ...

In general, pertaining to or affording an overall view. In meteorology, this term has become somewhat specialized in referring to the use of meteorological data obtained simultaneously over a wide area for the purpose of obtaining a comprehensive and near ...

See calorie.

Temperature to which absolutely dry air would have to be brought in order for it to have the same density as moist air, considered at the same pressure.

A hypothetical, ideal body which absorbs completely all incident radiation. independent of wavelength and direction. No actual substance behaves as a true black body, although platinum black and other soots rather closely approximate this ideal. However, ...

The state of the weather with respect to its effect upon the kindling and spreading of forest fires.

A white disk 12" or more in diameter which is lowered into the sea to estimate transparency of the water. The depths are noted at which it first disappears when lowered and reappears when raised.

Air in motion relative to the surface of the earth. Almost exclusively used to denote the horizontal component.

A rotation anemometer in which the axis of rotation is horizontal. The instrument has either flat vanes (as in the air meter) or helicoidal vanes (as in the propeller anemometer). The relation between wind speed and angular rotation is almost linear.

In folklore, a name for wind.

Generally, an instrument designed to measure or estimate the blueness of the sky. See Linke-scale.

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.

An increase in the central pressure of a pressure system; opposite of a deepening. More commonly applied to a low rather than a high.

An instrument for measuring the pressure of gases and vapors. A mercury barometer is a type of manometer.

A general name for instruments which detect the presence of (but do not necessarily measure) small electrical charges by electrostatic means. Compare to electrometer.

The range of operating conditions within which a device is designed to operate and for which operating influences are stated. See operating conditions, reference operating conditions.

A form of data transmission in which the bits of each character are sent one at a time along a single communication path. Compare to parallel data transmission.

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

A radiosonde whose carrier wave is modulated by audio-frequency signals whose frequency is controlled by the sensing elements of the instrument.