UCSB Cosmology Group

ET is the abbreviation used for the word evapotranspiration. Evapotranspiration is the combination of two separate processes whereby water is lost from the soil surface by evaporation or used by plants called transpiration. The evaporation and transpiration occur simultaneously and is measured in millimeters or inches of water per time period which could be hourly, daily, weekly, monthly or yearly.

High-Energy Solar Radiation consisting of mainly gamma rays, X-rays and UV radiation from the sun

Solar radiation is radiant energy emitted by a sun as a result of its nuclear fusion reactions.

The spectrum of the Sun's solar radiation is close to that of a black body with a temperature of about 5,800 K. About half that lies in the visible short-wave part of the electromagnetic spectrum and the other half mostly in the near-infrared part. Some also lies in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum.[1] When ultraviolet radiation is not absorbed by the atmosphere or other protective coating, it can cause a change in human skin pigmentation.

Solar radiation is commonly measured with a pyranometer or pyrheliometer.

The heat index (HI) is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity in an attempt to determine the human-perceived equivalent temperature & how hot it feels, termed the felt air temperature.

Inside Temperature

Temperature is a physical property of a system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold; something that is hotter generally has the greater temperature.

Outside Dew Point

The dew point (sometimes spelled dewpoint) is the temperature to which a given parcel of air must be cooled, at constant barometric pressure, for water vapor to condense into water. The condensed water is called dew. The dew point is a saturation point.

Outside Heat Index

The heat index (HI) is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity in an attempt to determine the human-perceived equivalent temperature & how hot it feels, termed the felt air temperature. The human body normally cools itself by perspiration, or sweating, which evaporates and carries heat away from the body. However, when the relative humidity is high, the evaporation rate is reduced, so heat is removed from the body at a lower rate causing it to retain more heat than it would in dry air. Measurements have been taken based on subjective descriptions of how hot subjects feel for a given temperature and humidity, allowing an index to be made which corresponds a temperature and humidity combination to a higher temperature in dry air.

Outside Humidity

Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. In daily language the term "humidity" is normally taken to mean relative humidity. Relative humidity is defined as the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor in a parcel of air to the saturated vapor pressure of water vapor at a prescribed temperature. Humidity may also be expressed as absolute humidity and specific humidity. Relative humidity is an important metric used in forecasting weather. Humidity indicates the likelihood of precipitation, dew, or fog. High humidity makes people feel hotter outside in the summer because it reduces the effectiveness of sweating to cool the body by preventing the evaporation of perspiration from the skin.

Outside Temperature

Temperature is a physical property of a system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold; something that is hotter generally has the greater temperature.

Rain

Rain is a type of precipitation, a product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that is released on the Earth's surface. It forms when separate drops of water fall to the Earth from clouds. Not all rain reaches the surface; some of it evaporates while falling through dry air. When none of it reaches the ground, it is called virga, a phenomenon often seen in hot, dry desert regions.

Reception

The action of an electronic receiver, such as for radio or remote control (a good signal allows for clear reception)

Solar Energy

Solar energy refers to the utilization of the radiant energy from the Sun. Solar power is used interchangeably with solar energy, but refers more specifically to the conversion of sunlight into electricity, either by photovoltaics and concentrating solar thermal devices, or by one of several experimental technologies such as thermoelectric converters, solar chimneys or solar ponds.

Solar Radiation

Solar radiation is radiant energy emitted by a sun as a result of its nuclear fusion reactions.

The spectrum of the Sun's solar radiation is close to that of a black body with a temperature of about 5,800 K. About half that lies in the visible short-wave part of the electromagnetic spectrum and the other half mostly in the near-infrared part. Some also lies in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum.[1] When ultraviolet radiation is not absorbed by the atmosphere or other protective coating, it can cause a change in human skin pigmentation.

Solar radiation is commonly measured with a pyranometer or pyrheliometer.

Wind Chill

Wind chill is the apparent temperature felt on exposed skin, which is a function of the air temperature and wind speed. The wind chill temperature (often popularly called the wind chill factor) is always lower than the air temperature, except at higher temperatures where wind chill is considered less important.

Wind Direction

Wind direction is the direction from which the wind is blowing. It is usually reported in cardinal directions or in azimuth degrees.

There are a variety of instruments used to measure wind direction, such as the windsock and wind vane. Both of these instruments work by moving to minimize air resistance. The way they are pointed by prevailing winds indicates the direction from which the wind is blowing.

Modern instruments, called electronic anemometers measure wind direction in a similar fashion but contain electronics to translate directional data from the vane into formats which computers can interpret. Many of these instruments measure wind speed as well. Although you can measure the wind direction by observing too.

Wind Run

Wind run is measurement of the "amount" of wind passing the station during a given period of time, expressed in either "miles of wind" or "kilometers of wind". WeatherLink calculates wind run by multiplying the average wind speed for each archive record by the archive interval.

Wind Speed

Wind speed is the speed of wind, the movement of air or other gases in an atmosphere. It is a scalar quantity, the magnitude of the vector of motion.

Wind speed has always meant the movement of air in an outside environment, but the speed of air movement inside is important in many areas, including weather forecasting, aircraft and maritime operations, building and civil engineering. High wind speeds can cause unpleasant side effects, and strong winds often have special names, including gales, hurricanes, and typhoons.

Interesting Topic regarding wind speed: Beaufort Scale