Any and all forms of water particles, liquid or solid, that fall from the atmosphere and reach the ground.

The actual lifting force of an inflated balloon, usually expressed in grams.

An air-launched balloon designed to be released in the eye of a tropical cyclone, float within the eye at predetermined levels, and transmit radio signals for RDF positioning.

In general. the severe wind of an intense tropical cyclone (hurricane or typhoon). The term has no further technical connotation, but, unfortunately, is easily conftlsed with the strictly defined hurricane-force wind,

An addition to a rawinsonde system which allows determination of the slant range to the radiosonde.

Phase Shift Keying. A form of phase modulation of a data signal performed by a modem for transmission over dedicated wire or phone lines.

The total electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun. About 99.9 percent of its energy output falls within the wavelength interval from 0. 15 microns to 4.0 microns, with peak intensity near 0.47 microns. About one-half of the total energy in the solar ...

By international agreement, a period during which greatly increased observation of world-wide geophysical phenomena is undertaken through the co-operative effort of participating nations. July 1957-December 1958 was the first such year. However, precedent ...

A type of electrical thermometer in which the thermal element is a substance whose electrical resistance varies with the temperature. Such thermometers can be made with very short time constants and are capable of highly accurate measurements.

Amount of solar radiation incident, per unit area and time, on a surface which is perpendicular to the radiation and is situated at the outer limit of the atmosphere, the earth being at its mean distance from the sun. It equals approximately 2.00 ly/ min ...

An elongated area of relatively low atmospheric pressure. Usually associated with and most clearly identified as an area of maximum cyclonic curvature of the wind flow. The opposite of a ridge.

A polarimeter utilizing a Wollaston prism as a polarizer and a Nicol prism as an analyzer.

An instrument used to measure the water vapor content of the air. A type of hygrometer. It consists of a wet-bulb and a dry-bulb thermometer. See aspiration psychrometer, Assmann psychrometer. hygrodeik, sling psychrometer.

A unit of energy equal to 1.356joules.

A general term for atmospheric water in any of its forms, i.e. clouds, fog, hail, ice crystals, rain.

A hygrometer in which the rotation of the hygrometric element is a function of humidity.

A forecast of the expected stage or discharge at a specified time, or of the total volume of flow within a specified Interval of time, at one or more points along a stream.

The total amount of water transferred to the atmosphere by evapotranspiration.

A device for measuring the river stage. Also called stream gauge.

A record obtained from a meteorograph. A chart in which meteorological variables are plotted against time.