Skip to content
Geolens

Glossary

417 words used in the labs.

Find a term from the labs, understand the process behind it, and see how it appears in the landscape. Each entry connects an explanation with a real observation and a model you can explore.

Term

Anticyclone

An atmospheric circulation around a region of high pressure, commonly associated with sinking air. Surface winds turn clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and anticlockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. Clear skies are common, but fog and low cloud can persist.

What to look for

NOAA surface analyses during a late-February 2022 storm. Isobars join equal pressure; front symbols identify analysed boundaries between air masses.

Related labs

Cyclone and anticyclone →
Four NOAA surface analysis charts show pressure contours and weather fronts during a North American storm.
Loading photograph

Explore further with USGS water glossary · USGS volcano glossary · NPS glacial geology · NASA Earth facts. Photograph acknowledgements are collected on the Image credits page.