The element directly responsive to the value of the measured variable.

A power supply which achieves its output regulation by means of one or more active power handling devices which are alternately placed in the "off" or "on" states. It is more efficient than linear supplies which vary the conduction of power devices to ach ...

A small, moveable graduated scale adjacent and parallel to the main scale of an instrument. It provides a means for interpolating between the graduations of the main scale.

A general term for instruments which sample atmospheric suspensoids by impaction. Same as impactometer.

The water volume within a specified portion of a stream channel.

An instrument, dropped from high attitude and carried by a stable parachute. used to measure the vertical component of turbulence aloft.

Same as instrument shelter.

A liquid-in-glass or liquid-in-metal thermometer using mercury as the liquid.

The officially designated elevation of an airport above mean sea level, taken as the highest point on any of the runways of the airport. Same as airport elevation.

The difference between the outgoing infrared terrestrial radiation of the earth's surface and the downcoming infrared counterradiation from the atmosphere.

Same as wave pole.

A component of the wind (often using Cartesian coordinates. i.e. X and Y wind vectors). Also, an arrow representing wind velocity, drawn to point in the direction of the wind and with a length proportional to wind speed.

Any meteorological instrument, such as a radiosonde, in which the recording apparatus is located at some distance from the measuring apparatus.

The temperature at which a solid substance undergoes fusion, i.e. melts, changes from solid to liquid form. All substances have their characteristic melting points. For very pure substances the temperature range over which the process of fusion occurs is ...

The change in a performance characteristic caused by a change in a specified operating condition from reference operating condition, all other conditions being held within the limits of reference operating conditions.

An instrument for measuring temperature by utilizing the variation of the physical properties of substances according to their thermal states. Thermometers may be classified into types according to their construction; deformation thermometer, electrical t ...

In general, the transformation of data from a "raw" form to some useable form. In meteorology, this often refers to the conversion of the observed value of an element to the value which it would theoretically have at some selected or standard level. The m ...

Contraction for radiosonde observation.

A mercury barometer which measures atmospheric pressure by weighing the mercury in the column or cistern.

Same as humidity strip.