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

An instrument which determines the altitude of an object with respect to a fixed level. There are two general types of altimeters: (a) the pressure altimeter, which gives an approximate measure of altitude from a pressure measurement and an assumed standa ...

Solar radiation of selected wavelengths.

An instrument which measures the effective terrestrial radiation. See Angstrom pyrgeometer.

Pertaining to rain, or more broadly, to precipitation.

Psychrometer to which a small chain or rotary handle is attached so that the observer can rotate the instrument rapidly to properly ventilate the thermometer bulbs.

The upward force produced by the gas in a balloon. It is equal to the free lift plus the weight of the balloon and the attached equipment.

Same as fogbow.

Wind with a speed between 4 and 6 knots (4 and 7 mph), Beaufort scale number 2.

In folklore, a name for wind.

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, ...

A temperature-sensing element which converts thermal energy directly into electrical energy. In its basic form it consists of two dissimilar metallic conductors connected in a closed loop. Each junction forms a thermocouple. If one thermocouple is maintai ...

For a given locality and month, an empirical expression devised for the purpose of classifying climates numerically on the basis of precipitation and evaporation.

The minimum temperature shown by a minimum thermometer exposed in an open situation with its bulb at the level of the tops of the grass blades of short turf.

A box-like structure designed to protect certain meteorological instruments from exposure to direct sunlight, precipitation, and condensation, while at the same time providing adequate ventilation. Instrument shelters are painted white, have louvered side ...

The probability distribution of random errors, typically a normal distribution with a zero mean.

A thermometer consisting of a clock mechanism the speed of which is a function of temperature.

Very generally, any moving- stream of air. It has no particular technical connotation.

An absolute instrument developed by K. Angstrom for the measurement of direct solar radiation. The radiation receiver station consists of two identical manganin strips whose temperatures are measured by attached thermocouples. One of the strips is shaded, ...

The process by which one object becomes adhered to another by the binding action of ice.