Aerography

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The scientific description or analysis of atmospheric conditions, properties, and phenomena
2. A systematic study and written account of the atmosphere and its characteristics
3. The branch of knowledge concerned with describing and understanding atmospheric conditions and behavior

Etymology: Aerography is a plain compound: "aero-", from Greek "aēr" meaning air, joined to "-graphy", from Greek "graphia" meaning writing or description. Put together, the word means the description or mapping of the atmosphere, a study of air and its conditions. The formation follows the same pattern as older scientific names such as "geography" (writing about the earth) and "photography" (writing with light), so readers who know those words can read this one at a glance. The word belongs to the scientific vocabulary of the modern era, when Greek roots were routinely combined to name new fields of study. It describes the branch of knowledge concerned with the physical characteristics of the air, a field that grew alongside meteorology and the study of weather.

Synonyms: aerial photography, airography