A strong wind characterized by a sudden onset, a duration on the order of minutes, and a rather sudden decrease in speed.

A graduated scale placed in a position so that the stage of a stream may be read directly from it. Staff gauges may be placed on bridge piers or pilings, etc., or placed on specially constructed supports.

Wind with a speed between 17 and 21 knots (19 and 24 mph); Beaufort scale number 5.

The audio-frequency signal transmitted by the Diamond-Hinman radiosonde when the baroswitch pen passes each fifteenth contact of the commutator, up to a number determined by the design of the commutator, and each fifth contact thereafter. This signal is t ...

bucket rain gauge-A rain gauge where the precipitation collected by the receiver empties into one side of a chamber which is partioned transversely at its center and is balanced bistably upon a horizontal axis. When a predetermined amount of water has bee ...

Solar and terrestrial radiation directed downwards (towards the earth's surface); incoming radiation.

The meteorological visual range, which can be estimated from the average extinction coefficient using the Koschmieder equation.

Particle on which the freezing of water occurs.

Overflowing by water of the normal confines of a stream or other body of water, or accumulation of water by drainage over areas which are not normally submerged.

A term used to describe a sensor (or sensors), the associated transducer(s), and the data readout or recording device.

An anemometer which measures wind speed in terms of the drag which the wind exerts on a solid body. See bridled-cup anemometer, normal-plate anemometer, pendulum anemometer.

For a given location, a measure of the long-range effectiveness of precipitation in promoting plant growth. Also called precipitation-evaporation index.

Same as dew-point hygrometer.

A device that allows a terminal or computer at one location to communicate with a terminal or computer at a distant location via wire or phone lines.

Determined by weighing a special type of wooden stick that has been exposed in the woods, its weight being proportional to its contained water.

A hypothetical body which absorbs some constant fraction, between zero and one, of all electromagnetic radiation incident upon it, which fraction is the absorptivity and is independent of wavelength. Compare to black body, white body.

A feeble oscillatory disturbance of the earth's crust, detectable only by very sensitive seismographs. Certain types of microseisms seem to be closely correlated with pressure disturbances. See microbarm.

Same as atmometer.

Radiation coming from the solid angle of the sun's disc, as opposed to diffuse sky radiation, effective terrestrial radiation, or radiation from any other source. Direct solar radiation is measured by pyrheliometers.

A class of rain gauge in which the level of the collected rain water is measured by the position of a float resting on the surface of the water.