Weather, Climate and the Ocean

The height above sea level. Altitude. Altitude is how high something is above the Earth's surface.

A flying technique used to gain energy by crossing the boundary between air masses of different velocity. Dynamic soaring. It is a method birds and airplanes use to fly faster and longer without using extra energy by moving between layers of air that have different speeds.

The condition of a system in which all competing influences are balanced. Equilibrium. In science, equilibrium is when things are stable and balanced, like when forces are equal and everything is steady.

A branch of the atmospheric sciences, with a focus on weather forecasting, meteorology. Meteorology is the study of the atmosphere to understand and predict weather conditions.

A mature tropical cyclone that develops in the Northern Hemisphere. Typhoon. A typhoon is a powerful storm system with strong winds and heavy rain that forms over warm ocean waters.