Meteorology and atmospheric science terminology · MLC-0110
Meteorology and atmospheric science terms: S (1,275)
- Stratospheric steeringThe influence of stratospheric wind patterns on the movement and development of weather systems in the...
- Stratospheric sulfate layerA persistent aerosol layer located in the lower stratosphere, primarily composed of sulfuric acid droplets...
- Stratospheric warmingA rapid and substantial increase in temperature within the polar stratosphere, particularly during winter...
- StratusA low-level cloud type characterized by a uniform, gray, sheet-like appearance that covers a wide area. These...
- Stratus fractusA species of stratus cloud characterized by irregular, ragged, and fragmented patches, often appearing below...
- StraysAn early name for atmospherics, the crackling radio noise produced by the electromagnetic pulses of lightning...
- Streak lightningA type of lightning discharge that appears as a single, bright, and often branched channel of light extending...
- StreamA body of flowing water, typically confined within a channel, that moves from higher to lower elevations...
- Stream gaugingThe process of measuring the discharge, or volume of water flowing past a specific point in a stream or river...
- Stream hydrographA graphical representation showing the variation of streamflow (discharge) over time at a specific point in a...
- Stream lineArrows on a weather chart showing wind speed and direction. The head of the arrow points toward where the...
- Stream networkThe system of interconnected channels, from small headwater trickles to large rivers, that drains a...
- Stream orderA classification system for streams based on their branching pattern within a drainage basin, indicating...
- Stream piracyA geomorphological process where a stream or river captures the headwaters of another stream, diverting its...
- Stream profileA longitudinal cross-section of a stream channel, showing the elevation of the streambed from its headwaters...
- Stream reachA significant segment of surface water that has similar hydrologic characteristics, such as a stretch of...
- Stream segmentA distinct section of a stream or river, often defined by specific hydrological or geomorphological...
- Stream tubeAn imaginary tube in a fluid flow, whose walls are composed of streamlines, meaning no fluid crosses the tube...
- StreamerA thin, luminous, branching plasma channel that grows through air where the electric field is strong enough...
- StreamflowThe discharge of water in a natural channel, such as a river or creek, representing the movement of water...
- Streamflow routingThe process of predicting the movement and transformation of a flood wave or water volume as it travels...
- StreamfunctionA scalar function used to describe two-dimensional, incompressible fluid flow, where the velocity components...
- StreamlineA line in a fluid flow field that is everywhere tangent to the instantaneous velocity vector. It represents...
- Streamwise vorticityThe component of the vorticity vector that is aligned with the local velocity vector of a fluid flow. It...
- StressA force per unit area acting on a surface, which can be normal (perpendicular) or tangential (parallel) to...
- Stress tensorA mathematical representation of the state of stress at a point within a continuous medium, describing both...
- Stretched gridded dataA method of representing meteorological data where the grid spacing is non-uniform, with finer resolution in...
- Stretched VISSR dataA processed and retransmitted data stream from a Visible and Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer (VISSR) instrument...
- STRFMStratiform
- StriationsParallel lines or bands of cloud, often seen along the edges of a thunderstorm's anvil or within wave clouds...
- StrikeFor any particular location, a hurricane strike occurs if that location passes within the hurricane's strike...
- Stroke densityThe number of lightning return strokes per unit area in a given period, usually per square kilometer per...
- Strong breezeA wind of Beaufort force 6, with speeds of 22 to 27 knots (25 to 31 miles per hour). At sea large waves begin...
- Strouhal numberA dimensionless quantity used in fluid dynamics to describe oscillating flow mechanisms, particularly those...
- Structural stabilityA property of a dynamical system whose qualitative behavior, such as the number and type of its steady states...
- Structure functionA statistical tool used to characterize the spatial variability of a random field, such as atmospheric...
- Student's t-testA statistical hypothesis test used to determine if there is a statistically meaningful difference between the...
- Subantarctic frontOne of the circumpolar fronts of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, marked by a sharp southward drop in...
- Subantarctic Upper WaterA relatively warm and fresh water mass found in the upper layers of the Southern Ocean, north of the...
- Subantarctic zoneThe oceanic and atmospheric region located immediately north of the Antarctic Polar Front and south of the...
- Subarctic Intermediate WaterA distinct water mass found in the North Pacific Ocean, characterized by relatively low salinity and...
- Subarctic Upper WaterThe relatively fresh and cool surface water mass found in the subarctic regions of the North Pacific and...
- Subatomic particleA particle smaller than an atom, such as a proton, neutron, or electron. In atmospheric science, the most...
- SubBorealA climatic period and pollen zone of the Holocene in northern Europe, in the Blytt-Sernander scheme, lasting...
- Subcloud layerThe atmospheric layer extending from the Earth's surface up to the base of a cloud. This region is often...
- SubductionThe process by which surface water masses sink and move beneath lighter water masses, typically occurring in...
- Subfrontal cloudA cloud that forms in the cold air beneath a frontal surface, most often low stratus or stratus fractus that...
- SubgelisolThe layer of unfrozen ground, known as talik, that lies beneath a body of permafrost. This zone exists...
- Subgeostrophic windA wind speed that is less than the geostrophic wind speed, which would be expected if only the Coriolis force...
- Subgradient windA wind that blows at a speed less than the gradient wind, which is the theoretical wind speed when the...
- Subgrid-scale processAtmospheric or oceanic phenomena that occur at spatial scales smaller than the resolution of a numerical...
- Subhumid climateA climate between humid and semiarid in which precipitation is close to the water demand of...
- SublimationThe change of a substance directly from solid to vapor without passing through a liquid phase. It happens...
- Sublimation nucleusA microscopic particle in the atmosphere that facilitates the direct transition of water vapor into ice...
- Sublimation of iceThe change of ice directly to water vapor without melting, which happens when the vapor pressure over the ice...
- Submesoscale coherent vorticesA long-lived, compact eddy in the ocean interior whose horizontal radius, a few to a few tens of kilometers...
- Suborbital trackThe projection onto the Earth's surface of the trajectory of a vehicle, such as a sounding rocket, that...
- SubpointThe geographical location on the Earth's surface directly beneath a satellite or celestial body at a given...
- Subpolar glacierA glacier whose ice is at the pressure melting point in some parts but below freezing in others, also called...
- Subpolar highA region of relatively high atmospheric pressure located poleward of the mid-latitude westerlies, around 60...
- Subpolar low pressure beltA band of low atmospheric pressure encircling the Earth at approximately 50 to 70 degrees latitude in both...
- SubrefractionThe bending of the radar beam in the vertical which is less than under standard refractive conditions. This...
- Subregional broadcastA radio broadcast of selected meteorological information drawn from a portion of a WMO Region and from some...
- SubsidenceThe downward movement of air in the atmosphere, which leads to warming by compression and a decrease in...
- Subsidence inversionAn atmospheric temperature inversion that forms when a layer of air descends and warms adiabatically...
- Substandard propagationAn atmospheric condition where radio waves are refracted less than normal, causing them to travel in a...
- SubstationA location where observations are taken or other services are furnished by people not located at NWS offices...
- SubsunA bright spot of light appearing directly below the sun, formed by the reflection of sunlight off numerous...
- Subsurface currentA flow of water occurring beneath the ocean's surface, distinct from surface currents driven by wind. These...
- Subsurface floatAn autonomous instrument designed to drift at a predetermined depth in the ocean, collecting data on...
- Subsurface flowThe movement of water beneath the Earth's surface within the unsaturated zone (vadose zone) and the saturated...
- Subsurface storm flowThe rapid movement of water through the soil profile during and immediately after a rainfall event, occurring...
- Subsurface waterAll water that exists beneath the Earth's surface, including soil moisture, groundwater, and water in the...
- Sub-synoptic LowEssentially the same as mesolow.
- Subterranean streamA body of water flowing in a natural underground channel, such as through a cave system or within porous rock...
- Subtle heavy rainfall signatureThis heavy rain signature is often difficult to detect on satellite. These warm top thunderstorms are often...
- Subtropical calmsRegions of persistent high atmospheric pressure and light, variable winds located around 30 degrees latitude...
- Subtropical climateA climate zone located between the tropical and temperate zones, generally between 20 and 35 degrees latitude...
- Subtropical convergenceAn oceanic zone where warmer, saltier subtropical surface water meets cooler, fresher subantarctic or...
- Subtropical countercurrentA narrow, shallow eastward ocean current in the subtropical North Pacific, at about 20 to 30 degrees north...
- Subtropical cycloneA weather system that possesses characteristics of both tropical and extratropical cyclones, typically...
- Subtropical depressionA subtropical cyclone in which the maximum 1-minute sustained surface wind is 33 knots (38 mph) or less.
- Subtropical easterlies indexA measure of the strength of the easterly wind between 20 and 35 degrees north latitude. It is computed from...
- Subtropical frontA semi-permanent, large-scale boundary in the ocean separating warmer, saltier subtropical waters from...
- Subtropical highA large, semi-permanent anticyclone (high-pressure system) centered over the oceans in the subtropics...
- Subtropical high pressure beltA band of high atmospheric pressure encircling the Earth at approximately 20 to 35 degrees latitude in both...
- Subtropical jet(Abbrev. STJ) - this jet stream is usually found between 20° and 30° latitude at altitudes between 12 and 14...
- Subtropical jet streamA fast-flowing, narrow current of air located in the upper troposphere, typically found at altitudes of 10-14...
- Subtropical ridgeAn elongated area of high atmospheric pressure extending zonally across the subtropics, often associated with...
- Subtropical stormA subtropical cyclone in which the maximum 1-minute sustained surface wind is 34 knots (39 mph) or more.
- SubtropicsThe geographical and climatic zones located immediately poleward of the tropics, generally between 23.5 and...
- Suction vortexA small but very intense vortex within a tornado circulation. Several suction vortices typically are present...
- Suction vorticesSmall, intense whirls of air that rotate within a larger tornado circulation, often appearing as multiple...
- Sudden change reportA specialized weather report issued when there is an abrupt and substantial change in meteorological...
- Sudden CommencementIn solar-terrestrial terms, an abrupt increase or decrease in the northward component of the geomagnetic...
- Sudden impulse (SI+ or SI-)In solar-terrestrial terms, a sudden perturbation of several gammas in the northward component of the...
- Sudden ionospheric disturbanceAn abrupt increase in the ionization of the D-region of the ionosphere, primarily caused by enhanced X-ray...
- SudoisA southwest wind of Lake Geneva in Switzerland, called the vent de pluie, or rain wind, because it commonly...
- SuestadaA strong, persistent wind from the southeast that affects the Río de la Plata region of South America...
- SUFSufficient
- Sugar bergAn iceberg composed of porous, granular glacier ice that resembles packed snow or coarse sugar. The open...
- SukhoveiA hot, dry wind that originates from arid or semi-arid regions and blows across agricultural lands, primarily...
- SulfatesAerosol particles in the atmosphere composed of sulfur compounds, primarily ammonium sulfate and sulfuric...
- Sulfur dioxideA colorless gas with a pungent odor, represented by the chemical formula SO2, that is a major air pollutant...
- Sulfur hexafluorideA synthetic, colorless, odorless, non-flammable gas with the chemical formula SF6, known for its extremely...
- Sulfur rainA shower of yellow pollen, usually from pines and other conifers, that the wind carries in spring and rain...
- Sulfuric acidA strong mineral acid with the chemical formula H₂SO₄ that exists in the atmosphere as an aerosol. It forms...
- SultrinessA subjective sensation of oppressive warmth and humidity in the atmosphere. This condition is characterized...
- SumatraA squall line that forms over the Strait of Malacca, typically at night, and moves eastward across the Malay...
- Summation principleA rule in surface cloud observing that the sky cover credited to any layer equals that layer's own coverage...
- SummerThe warmest of the four temperate seasons, occurring between spring and autumn. It is characterized by the...
- Summer monsoonA seasonal wind system characterized by a reversal in wind direction, bringing heavy rainfall to many...
- Summer solsticeThe astronomical event marking the longest day and shortest night of the year in a given hemisphere. It...
- Sun crossA rare halo phenomenon in which bands of white light intersect over the sun at right angles. Most observed...
- Sun crustA layer of hardened snow on the surface of a snowpack, formed by the melting and refreezing of snow due to...
- Sun pillarA vertical column of light appearing to extend upward or downward from the sun, formed by the reflection of...
- Sun pointingAlignment of the radar antenna by locating the position of the sun in the sky, which has an exactly known...
- SunglintThe specular reflection of sunlight off a water surface, appearing as a bright, shimmering area in satellite...
- SunlightThe electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Sun, particularly in the visible, ultraviolet, and infrared...
- Sunlit auroraAn aurora in the part of the upper atmosphere that sunlight still reaches although the ground below is dark...
- SunnyWhen there are no opaque (not transparent) clouds. Same as Clear.
- SunriseThe moment each morning when the upper edge of the Sun first appears above the horizon, with atmospheric...
- SunscaldDamage to plants, particularly trees, caused by excessive exposure to sunlight, especially after a period of...
- SunsetThe moment each evening when the upper edge of the Sun disappears below the horizon, with atmospheric...
- SunshineThe direct radiant energy received from the sun, specifically referring to the period when the sun's disk is...
- Sunshine recorderAn instrument designed to measure the duration of direct sunshine at a specific location. It typically...
- SunspotA temporary, darker region on the Sun's photosphere that is cooler than the surrounding areas. These features...
- Sunspot cycleThe approximately 11-year periodic variation in the number of sunspots observed on the Sun's surface. This...
- Sunspot group classification• A: A small single unipolar sunspot or very small group of spots without penumbra.
- Sunspot maximumThe period in the solar cycle when the number of sunspots observed on the sun's surface reaches its highest...
- Sunspot minimumThe period within the approximately 11-year sunspot cycle when the number of sunspots observed on the Sun's...
- Sunspot numberIn solar-terrestrial terms, a daily index of sunspot activity (R), defined as R = k (10 g + s) where S =...
- Sun-synchronous satelliteAn artificial satellite placed in a sun-synchronous orbit, allowing it to pass over any given point on...
- Sun-weather correlationA statistical relationship sought between variations in solar activity, such as the 11-year sunspot cycle or...
- Super high frequencyThe portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of radio frequencies from 3 to 30...
- Super pressure balloonA type of scientific balloon designed to maintain a constant altitude in the stratosphere for extended...
- Super typhoonTyphoon having maximum sustained winds of 130 knots (150 mph) or greater.
- Superadiabatic lapse rateA condition in the atmosphere where the environmental lapse rate, the rate at which temperature decreases...
- SuperboltAn exceptionally powerful lightning discharge that is significantly brighter and more energetic than an...
- SupercellA severe thunderstorm characterized by a deep, persistent rotating updraft, known as a mesocyclone. This...
- Supercell thunderstormPotentially the most dangerous of the convective storm types. Storms possessing this structure have been...
- Supercell tornadoA tornado that forms beneath a supercell, a thunderstorm with a persistent rotating updraft called a...
- SupercoolTo cool a liquid below its freezing point without solidification or crystallization.
- Supercooled cloudA cloud composed of liquid water droplets that remain in a liquid state even when their temperature is below...
- Supercooled fogA type of fog composed of liquid water droplets that exist at temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius. These...
- Supercooled large dropsLiquid water droplets in the atmosphere that have a diameter greater than 50 micrometers and remain unfrozen...
- Supercooled liquid waterIn the atmosphere, liquid water can survive at temperatures colder than 0 degrees Celsius; many vigorous...
- Supercooled rainPrecipitation that falls as liquid water droplets but has a temperature below 0 degrees Celsius. This occurs...
- Supercooled waterLiquid water that exists at a temperature below its normal freezing point of 0 degrees Celsius. This state is...
- SupercoolingThe process by which a liquid is cooled below its freezing point without solidifying. This phenomenon occurs...
- Supercritical flowA flow regime in a fluid where the flow velocity exceeds the speed of a small amplitude wave in that medium...
- Supergeostrophic windA wind whose speed exceeds the geostrophic wind found from the same pressure gradient. It occurs in...
- Supergradient windA wind whose speed exceeds the gradient wind, the speed at which pressure gradient, Coriolis and centrifugal...
- Superimposed iceIce formed on a glacier or ice sheet when meltwater or rain refreezes on the cold ice surface or at the base...
- Superior airA warm, very dry air mass produced by sinking air in the subtropical high pressure belts, normally lying...
- Superior mirageAn optical phenomenon where an object appears to be displaced upwards from its true position, or an inverted...
- Supernumerary rainbowsFaint, colored bands that appear on the inner edge of a primary rainbow or the outer edge of a secondary...
- Superposed-epoch methodA statistical technique used to identify periodic or recurring signals in a time series by aligning multiple...
- SuperrefractionBending of the radar beam in the vertical which is greater than sub-standard refractive conditions. This...
- SupersaturationA condition in the atmosphere where the relative humidity exceeds 100 percent, meaning the air contains more...
- SupersonicDescribing a speed that is greater than the speed of sound in the surrounding medium. In the atmosphere, the...
- Superstandard propagationAn atmospheric condition where radio waves are bent downwards more strongly than under standard atmospheric...
- SupertyphoonA tropical cyclone in the Western Pacific Ocean that reaches sustained wind speeds of at least 130 knots (150...
- Supplementary featuresMinor cloud formations that are associated with a main cloud type but are not considered part of its...
- Supplementary land stationA surface synoptic station on land that is not a principal land station. In the classification of land...
- Supplementary observationAn additional meteorological measurement or visual report taken at a weather station to provide more detailed...
- Supplementary stationAny surface synoptic station on land other than a principal land station, also written as supplementary land...
- Supply currentThe electric current in the atmosphere that carries positive charge upward or negative charge downward...
- Suprapermafrost layerThe layer of ground that lies above the permafrost table. It includes the active layer, which thaws each...
- Surcharge capacityIn hydrologic terms, the volume of a reservoir between the maximum water surface elevation for which the dam...
- SurfThe breaking of ocean waves as they approach a coastline, caused by the shoaling of water that increases wave...
- Surf beatA long-period oscillation of the sea surface and associated currents within the surf zone, typically with...
- Surf zoneThe region of the ocean near the coast where incoming waves become unstable and break, extending from the...
- Surf zone forecast(SRF) - A National Weather Service routine or event driven forecast product geared toward non-boating marine...
- Surface albedoThe fraction of incident solar radiation that is reflected by the Earth's surface, expressed as a...
- Surface boundary layerThe lowest part of the atmospheric boundary layer, extending from the Earth's surface up to a height of...
- Surface chartA meteorological map that displays observed weather conditions and atmospheric pressure patterns at the...
- Surface Composition Mapping RadiometerA scanning radiometer on the Nimbus 5 satellite, launched in 1972, that measured terrestrial radiation in two...
- Surface currentA horizontal movement of water in the uppermost layer of an ocean or large lake, primarily driven by wind...
- Surface detentionWater held temporarily on the land surface as a thin sheet in transit toward a channel during overland flow...
- Surface energy balanceThe accounting of all energy fluxes at the Earth's surface, including incoming and outgoing radiation...
- Surface energy budgetThe energy or heat budget at the earth's surface, considered in terms of the fluxes through a plane at the...
- Surface floatA buoyant device deployed on the water surface to track currents or measure surface water properties. These...
- Surface forecast chartA graphical representation of predicted atmospheric conditions at or near the Earth's surface for a specified...
- Surface frictionThe drag force exerted by the Earth's surface on the lowest layers of the atmosphere, opposing the motion of...
- Surface gravity waveA wave that propagates along the interface between two fluids, such as air and water, where the restoring...
- Surface hoarA type of frost crystal that forms on cold surfaces, such as snowpacks, when water vapor from the air...
- Surface impoundmentIn hydrologic terms, an indented area in the land's surface, such as a pit, pond, or lagoon.
- Surface integralAn integral of a scalar or vector function taken over a surface rather than along a line or through a volume...
- Surface inversionAn atmospheric condition where temperature increases with height immediately above the Earth's surface...
- Surface of constant phaseAn imaginary surface in a wave field where all points have the same phase of oscillation at a given instant...
- Surface of discontinuityA theoretical boundary within a fluid or atmosphere where there is an abrupt change in one or more physical...
- Surface ozoneOzone (O3) found in the troposphere, near the Earth's surface, which is primarily formed through...
- Surface pressureThe atmospheric pressure measured at a specific location on the Earth's surface, representing the weight of...
- Surface radiation budgetThe net balance of all incoming and outgoing radiative energy fluxes at the Earth's surface, including...
- Surface renewal modelA conceptual model used to describe turbulent transport processes, particularly for heat and mass exchange at...
- Surface retentionThe amount of precipitation that is held on the land surface in small depressions, vegetation, or as a thin...
- Surface roughnessA measure of the irregularities on a surface that influence the flow of air over it. These irregularities...
- Surface runoffThe flow of water over the land surface, occurring when precipitation intensity exceeds the infiltration...
- Surface temperatureThe temperature of the Earth's land or ocean surface, measured at or very near the interface with the...
- Surface tensionThe cohesive force among liquid molecules at an interface, which causes the liquid surface to behave like an...
- Surface thermometerAn instrument designed to measure the temperature of the ground or a specific surface. These thermometers can...
- Surface troughAn elongated area of relatively low atmospheric pressure at the Earth's surface, often associated with a...
- Surface velocityThe speed and direction of fluid movement at the interface between the atmosphere and a body of water or...
- Surface visibilityThe maximum distance at which an observer can discern prominent unlit objects against the horizon during...
- Surface waterWater that collects on the surface of the Earth, including oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands. This...
- Surface water hydrologyThe scientific study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on the Earth's surface, including...
- Surface waveA wave that propagates along the interface between two media with different properties, such as the boundary...
- Surface weather chartAn analyzed synoptic chart of surface weather observations. A surface chart shows the distribution of...
- Surface weather observationA set of meteorological measurements and visual assessments taken at ground level to describe current...
- Surface windThe horizontal movement of air measured at a standard height above the Earth's surface, typically 10 meters...
- Surface wind stressThe tangential force exerted by the wind on the surface of the ocean or land, representing the transfer of...
- Surface-based ConvectionConvection occurring within a surface-based layer, i.e., a layer in which the lowest portion is based at or...
- Surface-based lifted indexA measure of atmospheric stability calculated by lifting a parcel of air from the surface dry adiabatically...
- Surfactant filmA thin layer of surface-active molecules that forms at the interface between two phases, such as air and...
- SurgeA sudden and temporary rise in the water level of a sea or lake, typically caused by strong winds and low...
- Surge currentA short-lived, very intense wave of electric current that can sweep through an electrical network, such as a...
- Surge lineA boundary on a weather map or in atmospheric analysis that delineates the leading edge of a surge of cold...
- SuroetA persistent southwest wind on the Atlantic coast of France, in the English Channel and off Flanders, usually...
- Survey datumA reference system used to define the horizontal and vertical positions of points on the Earth's surface. It...
- SuspensionA heterogeneous mixture in the atmosphere where solid or liquid particles are dispersed within a fluid...
- Sustained overdraftIn hydrologic terms, long-term withdrawal from the aquifer of more water than is being recharged.
- Sustained windWind speed determined by averaging observed values over a two-minute period.
- Sustained wind speedThe average wind speed measured over a specified time interval, typically one or two minutes, at a standard...
- SVR1. Severe
- SVRLSeveral
- S/WShortwave - a disturbance in the mid or upper part of the atmosphere which induces upward motion ahead of it...
- SW1. Southwest
- Swallow floatA neutrally buoyant, free-drifting instrument used to measure subsurface ocean currents. The float, a sealed...
- SwashThe turbulent layer of water that rushes up the beach face after a wave breaks, carrying sediment both...
- SWDOn a buoy report, Swell Direction is the compass direction from which the swell wave are coming from.
- SWESnow Water Equivalent (the amount of water content in a snowpack or snowfall).
- SWEATSevere Weather ThrEAT index; a stability index developed by the Air Force which incorporates instability...
- SweepA single, complete scan of the atmosphere by a radar antenna at a constant elevation angle. During a sweep...
- SwellOcean waves that have traveled away from their generating area, characterized by a more regular and organized...
- Swell directionThe direction from which the swells are propagating.
- SWHOn a buoy report, swell height is the vertical distance (meters) between any swell crest and the succeeding...
- SWIAn abbreviation for the Showalter Index, a measure of atmospheric stability used in forecasting convective...
- SWLYSouthwesterly
- SWODY1The Day-1 Convective Outlook, sometimes called the "AC" is a guidance product issued by the Operational...
- SWODY2The Day 2 Convective Outlook is very similar to the Day 1 Outlook. It is issued only twice a day, at 08Z and...
- SWPOn a buoy report, Swell Period is the time (usually measured in seconds) that it takes successive swell wave...
- SWRNSouthwestern
- SWSSevere Weather Statement
- S/WVShortwave - a disturbance in the mid or upper part of the atmosphere which induces upward motion ahead of it...
- SWWDSouthwestward
- SXStability Index
- SXNSection
- SylvanshineAn optical effect in which dew-covered, wax-coated foliage sends light back toward its source, making trees...
- Symmetric double eyeA concentrated ring of convection that develops outside the eye wall in symmetric, mature hurricanes. The...
- Symmetric instabilityA dynamic instability in which an air parcel displaced along a sloping surface of constant absolute momentum...
- Synchronous detectionA signal processing technique used to extract a weak signal of a known frequency from a noisy background by...
- Synchronous Meteorological SatelliteA geostationary satellite designed to provide continuous, real-time imagery of Earth's weather patterns from...
- SYNOPSynoptic - relating to the general weather pattern over a wide region, such as areas of high and low pressure...
- SYNOP codeA standardized numerical code used for transmitting surface synoptic observations from land stations to...
- SynopsisA broad discussion of the weather pattern expected across any given area, generally confined to the 0-48 hour...
- SynopticRelating to or providing a general overview of atmospheric conditions over a broad geographical area at a...
- Synoptic chartA weather map that displays meteorological conditions observed at a specific time over a wide geographical...
- Synoptic climatologyA field of study that examines the relationship between atmospheric circulation patterns and the resulting...
- Synoptic codeA standardized system of numerical and symbolic representations used for encoding and transmitting...
- Synoptic forecastingThe prediction of future weather conditions based on the analysis of large-scale atmospheric patterns and...
- Synoptic hourA designated time, typically occurring at regular intervals such as every three or six hours, when...
- Synoptic meteorologyThe branch of meteorology concerned with the study and analysis of large-scale atmospheric phenomena and...
- Synoptic modelA numerical weather prediction model designed to simulate and forecast atmospheric processes on a large...
- Synoptic reportA compilation of meteorological observations collected simultaneously from a network of weather stations at a...
- Synoptic scaleA spatial scale in meteorology that encompasses atmospheric phenomena with horizontal dimensions ranging from...
- Synoptic situationThe large-scale atmospheric conditions prevailing over a broad geographical area at a given time. This...
- Synoptic stationA meteorological observing site that collects and transmits weather data at regular, standardized intervals...
- Synoptic trackWeather reconnaissance mission flown to provide vital meteorological information in data sparse ocean areas...
- Synoptic typeA classification of large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns or weather situations that are recurrent and...
- Synoptic wave chartA chart of sea conditions over an ocean area at one time, showing wave heights, periods and directions...
- Synoptic weatherWeather occurring over a wide region on time scales exceeding 12 hours.
- Synoptic weather observationA standardized set of meteorological measurements taken simultaneously at numerous stations across a wide...
- SYNSSynopsis
- Synthetic aperture radarA remote sensing technique that uses radar to create high-resolution images of Earth's surface, regardless of...
- Synthetic Aperture Radar River Ice SurveillanceAn experimental river ice mapping experiment using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR).
- Synthetic hydrographA hydrograph constructed for a point on a stream where no historical streamflow data is available, used to...
- SYSSystem
- Systematic errorA consistent and repeatable deviation in measurements from the true value, caused by flaws in the instrument...
- Systematic observationsMeasurements or data collection performed according to a predefined plan, using standardized procedures and...
- Système InternationaleThe International System of Units, the modern form of the metric system built on seven base units: metre...
- SyzygyAn astronomical alignment of three celestial bodies in a straight or nearly straight line, such as the Sun...
1,275 of 10,702 terms in Meteorology and atmospheric science terminology (MLC-0110). Request the full dataset.