Meteorology and atmospheric science terminology · MLC-0110
Meteorology and atmospheric science terms: M (631)
- Moll thermopileA type of radiation sensor consisting of multiple thermocouples connected in series, designed to measure...
- MollisolA type of soil characterized by a thick, dark-colored surface horizon rich in organic matter, formed under...
- MomentA measure of the tendency of a force to cause rotation about a point or axis, or a statistical measure...
- Moment of inertiaA measure of an object's resistance to changes in its rotational motion, analogous to mass in linear motion...
- MomentumA fundamental physical quantity representing the product of an object's mass and its velocity, indicating its...
- Momentum fluxThe rate of transfer of momentum per unit area, often occurring vertically through the atmosphere due to...
- Momentum transferThe process by which momentum is exchanged between different parts of a fluid or between a fluid and a solid...
- Monin-obukhov similarity theoryA theoretical framework used to describe the mean profiles of wind, temperature, and humidity within the...
- Monitor stageThe stage which, when reached by a rising stream, represents the level where appropriate officials (e.g...
- MonochromaticDescribing electromagnetic radiation that consists of a single wavelength or a very narrow band of...
- Monochromatic radiationElectromagnetic radiation characterized by a single, specific wavelength or a very narrow range of...
- Monostatic radarA type of radar system where the same antenna is used for both transmitting and receiving the electromagnetic...
- MonsoonA seasonal reversal of winds accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, typically characterized...
- Monsoon climateA climate regime characterized by distinct seasonal variations in precipitation and wind direction, driven by...
- Monsoon currentA large-scale, seasonally reversing wind system that transports moist air from an ocean to a continent in...
- Monsoon depressionA low-pressure system that forms over the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea during the summer monsoon season...
- Monsoon fogFog that develops during the monsoon season, often due to high humidity and cooling of the air near the...
- Monsoon gyreA large-scale, quasi-stationary cyclonic circulation that develops within the monsoon trough, particularly...
- Monsoon lowA low-pressure system that forms within the monsoon trough, a broad area of low pressure associated with the...
- Monsoon onset vortexA cyclonic circulation that forms over the Arabian Sea or the Bay of Bengal just prior to or at the beginning...
- Monsoon surgeA strengthening of the monsoon circulation, characterized by an increase in wind speed and enhanced...
- Monsoon troughA persistent, elongated area of low atmospheric pressure that extends across tropical and subtropical regions...
- Monte Carlo methodA class of computational algorithms that rely on repeated random sampling to obtain numerical results, often...
- Monte carlo modelA type of numerical model that employs random numbers to simulate the behavior of a system or process. These...
- Montgomery streamfunctionA thermodynamic variable used in meteorology to analyze atmospheric flow on isentropic surfaces, which are...
- Monthly climatological reportThis climatological product is issued once a month by each National Weather Service office. It is a mix of...
- Monthly climatological summaryA compilation of average weather conditions for a specific month, derived from historical observations over a...
- Monthly maximum temperatureThe highest air temperature recorded during a calendar month at a specific location. This meteorological...
- Monthly minimum temperatureThe lowest single air temperature recorded at a specific weather station over the course of a calendar month...
- Monthly recordAn extreme meteorological value, such as the highest or lowest temperature, or greatest precipitation...
- Montreal ProtocolAn international environmental agreement established to safeguard the Earth's ozone layer by regulating the...
- Moon illusionA perceptual phenomenon where the Moon appears significantly larger when it is near the horizon compared to...
- MoraineAn accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris, including rocks and sediment, that is transported and...
- MorgetA nocturnal land breeze that blows from the shore out over the water of Lake Geneva in Switzerland and...
- Morning gloryA rare, long, tubular cloud formation that stretches horizontally for hundreds of kilometers across the sky...
- MorphologyThe study of the form, structure, and spatial arrangement of atmospheric phenomena, such as clouds...
- MOSModel Output Statistics - the Hydrometeorological Center (HPC) produces a short range (6 to 60 hours) MOS...
- Mostly clearWhen the 1/8th to 2/8ths of the sky is covered by with opaque (not transparent) clouds. Sometimes referred to...
- Mostly cloudyWhen the 6/8th to 7/8ths of the sky is covered by with opaque (not transparent) clouds. Same as Considerable...
- Mostly sunnyWhen the 1/8th to 2/8ths of the sky is covered by with opaque (not transparent) clouds Same as Mostly Clear...
- Mother-cloudA larger cloud mass from which smaller, distinct cloud types or features develop and detach. This primary...
- Mother-of-pearl cloudsRare, iridescent clouds that form in the stratosphere at very high altitudes, between 15 and 25 kilometers...
- MotorboatingA characteristic sound produced by certain types of radiosondes or other atmospheric sensors when they...
- Mount Rose snow samplerA device used to measure the depth and water equivalent of snowpack, consisting of a series of metal tubes...
- Mount Wilson magnetic classificationsIn solar-terrestrial terms, a classification system for sunspots:
- Mountain barometerA portable mercury barometer designed for measuring atmospheric pressure at different altitudes, particularly...
- Mountain breezeA local wind system that flows down mountain slopes into valleys during the nighttime hours. It forms as the...
- Mountain climateThe characteristic weather patterns and atmospheric conditions found in mountainous regions, which are...
- Mountain fogFog that forms in mountainous terrain, often as moist air is lifted up slopes and cools adiabatically to its...
- Mountain lee waveAn atmospheric gravity wave that forms on the leeward side of a mountain range when stable air flows over it...
- Mountain observationA meteorological observation taken at a high-altitude station located on a mountain summit or slope. These...
- Mountain torqueA force exerted on the atmosphere by mountain ranges, arising from pressure differences across the...
- Mountain waveAn atmospheric gravity wave that forms when stable air flows over a mountain range, creating oscillations in...
- Mountain windA downslope wind that develops on mountain slopes during the night. It is a component of a mountain-valley...
- Mountain wind systemThe system of diurnal winds that forms in a complex terrain area, consisting of mountain-plain, along-valley...
- MountainadoA vertical-axis eddy produced in a downslope windstorm by the vertical stretching of horizontal roll vortices...
- Mountain-gap windA localized wind that accelerates as it flows through a narrow pass or gap in a mountain range. This...
- Mountain-plain wind systemA closed, large-scale, thermally driven circulation between the mountains and the surrounding plain. The...
- Mountain-plains wind systemsRegional wind patterns that develop due to the differential heating and cooling between elevated mountain...
- Mountain-valley wind systemsLocalized wind circulations that form within mountainous terrain due to the differential heating and cooling...
- Mountain-wave cloudA type of cloud formation that develops in the crests of mountain waves, indicating the presence of these...
- MoutonnéeA rock formation, also known as a roche moutonnée, that has been sculpted by the passage of a glacier. It has...
- MOVMove
- Movable bedIn hydrologic terms, a stream bed made up of materials readily transportable by the stream flow
- Movable-scale barometerA type of mercury barometer equipped with an adjustable scale that can be moved to align with the top of the...
- MOVGmoving
- Moving fetchThe distance over which wind blows unimpeded across a body of water, where the wind field itself is also...
- Moving-target indicationA radar signal processing technique designed to detect and display only targets that are in motion, while...
- Mozambique CurrentA warm ocean current flowing southward along the coast of Mozambique in the western Indian Ocean. It is a...
- MRmore
- M-regionA region on the Sun's corona that is the source of high-speed solar wind streams, characterized by open...
- MRFMedium Range Forecast model, the medium-range computer model run by the United States (NOAA). The output from...
- MRGLMarginal
- MRNGMorning
- MSGMessage
- MSL1. Mean sea level
- MSLPMean sea level pressure
- MSTMountain Standard Time
- MST radarAn abbreviation for Mesosphere-Stratosphere-Troposphere radar, a type of atmospheric radar used to measure...
- MSTLYMostly
- MSTRMoisture
- MT1) Mountain
- MTNMountain
- MTNSMountains
- MTSMountains
- Mud rainPrecipitation that contains a noticeable amount of dust or soil particles, giving it a muddy appearance. This...
- Mud slideFast moving soil, rocks and water that flow down mountain slopes and canyons during a heavy downpour of rain.
- MudflowA rapid flow of water-saturated soil and rock debris down a slope, often triggered by heavy rainfall or rapid...
- MuertoA cold, dry wind that descends from the mountains, particularly in coastal regions of Mexico and Central...
- MuggyDescribing atmospheric conditions characterized by high humidity and warm temperatures, often leading to a...
- MULIMost Unstable Lifted Index - Lifted Index (LI) calculated using a parcel from the pressure level that results...
- Multiannual storageThe accumulation of water in a reservoir or groundwater system over several consecutive years, designed to...
- Multiband systemA remote sensing instrument or technique that collects data simultaneously across multiple distinct spectral...
- Multicell convective stormA thunderstorm complex composed of several individual convective cells, each in a different stage of its life...
- Multicell thunderstormThese thunderstorms are organized in clusters of at least 2-4 short-lived cells. Each cell generates a cold...
- Multichannel sea surface temperatureA method for deriving sea surface temperature (SST) from satellite-borne infrared radiometers by using...
- Multichannel systemA data acquisition or transmission setup that processes or conveys information through several independent...
- Multifunctional Transport SatelliteA series of geostationary meteorological satellites operated by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) that...
- Multilevel modelA numerical weather prediction model that represents the atmosphere using multiple discrete layers or levels...
- Multiparameter radarA type of weather radar that transmits and receives radio waves with different polarizations, typically...
- MultipathThe phenomenon where a radio signal reaches a receiver via two or more distinct paths, typically due to...
- Multipath transmissionThe phenomenon where a radio signal travels from a transmitter to a receiver via two or more distinct paths...
- Multiple correlationA statistical measure that quantifies the linear relationship between a single dependent variable and a set...
- Multiple Doppler analysisThe use of more than one radar (and hence more than one look angle) to reconstruct spatial distributions of...
- Multiple drift correctionA technique applied to data from radiosondes or dropsondes to account for the horizontal displacement of the...
- Multiple incursion theoryA hypothesis explaining the formation of a complex tropical cyclone through the interaction and eventual...
- Multiple scatteringThe process by which electromagnetic radiation undergoes several scattering events as it passes through a...
- Multiple tropopauseA condition where the tropopause, the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere, is not a single...
- Multiple vortex tornadoA tornado in which two or more condensation funnels or debris clouds are present at the same time, often...
- Multiple-phase flowThe simultaneous movement of materials existing in two or more thermodynamic phases, such as gas, liquid, and...
- Multiple-purpose reservoirA man-made lake or impoundment designed and operated to serve several distinct functions simultaneously...
- Multiple-trip echoA radar echo that results from a transmitted pulse reflecting off a target, then reflecting off another...
- MultiplexorAn electronic device that selects one of several input signals and forwards it to a single output line...
- Multipurpose reservoirIn hydrologic terms, a reservoir constructed and equipped to provide storage and release of water for two or...
- Multi-Radar Multi-SensorAn automated system that rapidly and intelligently integrates data from multiple radars and radar networks...
- Multispectral remote sensingThe acquisition of image data across several discrete spectral bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. Each...
- Multispectral scannerAn optical-mechanical or electronic device used in remote sensing to collect reflected or emitted radiation...
- Multivariate objective analysisA statistical technique used in meteorology to optimally combine observations of multiple atmospheric...
- Multiyear iceSea ice that has survived at least one summer melt season, making it thicker and less saline than first-year...
- Municipal use of waterIn hydrologic terms, the various uses to which water is put to use developed urban areas, including domestic...
- Munk boundary layerA theoretical frictional boundary layer on the western side of an ocean basin, used to explain the formation...
- Munsell color chartA standardized system for precisely describing and identifying colors based on three perceptual dimensions...
- MushroomSlang for a thunderstorm with a well-defined anvil rollover, and thus having a visual appearance resembling a...
- MuskegA type of bog or wetland ecosystem characterized by acidic, waterlogged soil and a dense growth of sphagnum...
- Muskingum methodA hydrological routing technique used to model the movement of flood waves through a river channel or...
- MutatusA suffix used in cloud classification to indicate that a cloud has formed through the complete or...
- MVFRMarginal Visual Flight Rules - in an aviation product, refers to the general weather conditions pilots can...
- MVSMoves
- MWDOn a buoy report, mean wave direction corresponding to energy of the dominant period (DOMPD). The units are...
- MWSMarine Weather Statement
- Myers ratingA numerical scale from 1 to 5 that categorizes the potential for wildfire spread, based on the moisture...
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