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Understanding Air Masses and Weather Patterns

Learn how unequal land and water heating create global wind systems, examine air mass types, their source regions, and weather impacts. Explore the influence of air masses on the US climate and why regions experience varying seasonal conditions.

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Understanding Air Masses and Weather Patterns

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  1. Air Masses and FrontsChapter 16 section 2 S6E4.b– Relate unequal heating of land and water surfaces to form large global wind systems and weather. S6E4.c – Relate how moisture evaporating from the oceans affects the weather patterns and the weather events such as hurricanes.

  2. Air Masses Air mass– is a large body of air where temperature and moisture content are similar throughout. • Moisture content and temp are determined by the area over which the air mass forms called source regions. • Represented on maps by two-letter symbols; first letter – moisture content, second letter - temperature

  3. Air Mass Abbreviations • cP: Continental Polar • means over land and DRY & COLD • cT: Continental Tropical • Over land and DRY & WARM • mP: Maritime Polar • Over water and HUMID & COLD • mT: Maritime Tropical • Over Water and HUMID & WARM

  4. Cold Air Masses (3) Continental polar (cP)- From Northern Canada Brings extreme cold temperatures Brings cool, dry summers

  5. Cold Air Masses Maritime polar (mP) (Forms in 2 places) Forms over North Pacific or North Atlantic Ocean Cool and wet Rainy & Snowy in the winter Cool & Foggy in the summer

  6. Warm Air Masses (4) Maritime tropical (mT) Forms over Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico Winter they bring mild, often cloudy weather Summer, hot and humid weather, hurricanes, and thunderstorms.

  7. Warm Air Masses Continental tropical (cT) Forms over the deserts of northern Mexico & US Moves northward and brings clear, dry, and hot weather.

  8. Air Masses of North America

  9. Review What are the major air masses that influence the weather in the United States? What is one source region of a maritime polar air mass? Continental polar, maritime polar, maritime tropical, and continental tropical. The North Pacific and the North Atlantic Oceans.

  10. Review 3. Why does the Pacific Coast have cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers? 3. Cool, wet winters are affected by a maritime polar air mass. Summers are affected by a dry continental air mass.

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