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accuracy—The extent to which results of a calculation or the readings of an instrument approach the true values of the calculated or measured quantities. Compare precision.
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acdar—Acronym for acoustic detection and ranging instruments; also used to describe an atmospheric sounding made with such a device.
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acetic acid—Second of the series of organic (carboxylic) acids, formula CH3COOH, systematic name ethanoic acid. Acetic acid is thought to be formed in the atmosphere from the oxidation of acetaldehyde, although the exact details of the transformation are unknown. It contributes to the acidity of rainfall in remote (unpolluted) areas.
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acetonitrile—Chemical also known as methyl cyanide, formula CH3CN. It is emitted from incomplete combustion of vegetable matter, notably biomass, for example, cigarettes. Acetonitrile is relatively unreactive in the troposphere and thus reaches the stratosphere, where it participates in ion–molecule reactions.
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acetylene—Unsaturated hydrocarbon, formula C2H2, systematic name ethyne; member of the alkyne family; major component of incomplete combustion.
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acicular ice—“Freshwater ice consisting of numerous long crystals and hollow tubes having variable form, layered arrangement, and a content of air bubbles. This ice often forms at the bottom of an ice layer near its contact with water.”[from Glossary of Arctic and Subarctic Terms (1955)].
Arctic, Desert, Tropic Information Center (ADTIC) Research Studies Institute, 1955: Glossary of Arctic and Subarctic Terms, ADTIC Pub. A-105, Maxwell AFB, AL, 90 pp.
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