A synoptic code approved by the World Meteorological Organization in which the observable meteorological elements are encoded and transmitted in "words" of five numerical digits length. Often abbreviated synoptic code.

A measure of the attenuation due to scattering, of light as it traverses a medium containing scattering particles.

Any soft, gentle breeze.

An aneroid barograph designed to record atmospheric pressure variations of very small magnitude.

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

Defect in the action of an aneroid barometer resulting in a sluggish adjustment of the index toward the correct reading when the barometer is subjected to a large and rapid change in pressure.

The gravity flow of water within soil.

A scale of yellows, greens, and blues for recording the color of sea water, as seen against the white background of a Secchi disk.

A type of cyanometer. an instrument used to measure the blueness of the sky. The Linke-scale is simply a set of eight cards of different standardized shades of blue. They are evenly numbered 2 to 26. The odd numbers are used by the observer if he or she j ...

A number of quantity defining a limit that errors will not exceed when a device is used under specified operating conditions. Accuracy rating can be expressed in a number of forms, i.e. in terms of the measured variable (+/- 1 C), percent of span (+/-0.5% ...

An instrument used to measure and record earthquake vibrations and other earth tremors.

The center of an area of high pressure, usually accompanied by anticyclonic and outward wind flow. Also known as an anticyclone.

The unit of acceleration in the centimeter-gram-second system of units, equal to one cm per sec2. Commonly used in gravimetry.

The upper surface of a column of liquid.

In meteorology, an area of low pressure; a low or trough.

Pyrheliometer based on the comparison of the heating of two identical metal strips, one exposed to radiation, the other to a joule effect.

As used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the departure (in

Electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength than visible radiation but longer than x-rays, between 0.02 and 0.4 micron (200 and 4000 angstrom).

See calorie.

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.