120 likes | 209 Views
Chapter 16.2. Air Masses and Fronts. Air Masses. Large body of air where temperature and moisture content are similar throughout. Named for where they form: M - Maritime- over water- Wet C - Continental- over land- Dry P - Polar- over polar regions- Cold
E N D
Chapter 16.2 Air Masses and Fronts
Air Masses • Large body of air where temperature and moisture content are similar throughout. • Named for where they form: • M- Maritime- over water- Wet • C- Continental- over land- Dry • P- Polar- over polar regions- Cold • T- Tropical- over tropical regions- Warm
Combine letters to describe air masses • mP- Maritime Polar • Wet, Cold • cP- Continental Polar • Dry, Cold • mT- Maritime Tropical • Wet, Warm • cT- Continental Tropical • Dry, Warm
Air Masses that affect weather in North America http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7r.html
Fronts • The boundary between Air Masses • Four types: • Cold • Warm • Occluded • Stationary
Cold Front • Cold, denser air moves under warm, less dense air and pushes the warm air up. • Moves quickly and brings heavy precipitation, followed by cooler, drier air. http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7r.html
Warm Front • Warm, less dense air moves over cold, denser air. • Brings drizzly rain, followed by clear, warm weather. http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7r.html
Occluded Front • Warm air caught between two colder air masses. • Cold air pushes warm air up, bringing cool temperatures and large amounts of precipitation. http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7r.html
Stationary Front • “Stalemate” between a cold air mass and a warm air mass. • Brings many days of cloudy, wet weather. http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Atmosphere/tstorm/stat_front.html
Vertical Air Movement • Cyclone: the winds circulate counterclockwise around a low. The air is warm at the surface so it rises in a column such that its winds spiral upward and cool. The cyclone is associated with rain-making conditions. • Anticyclone: develops where cold air aloft, being heavier and having a higher pressure, descends in spiraling motions to reach the surface as a pressure high. Brings dry, clear weather. http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect14/Sect14_1c.html