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Air Masses & Weather Patterns. Question of the Day. What is an Air Mass?. Air Masses. Movements of large bodies of air that originate at a source region Characterized by temperature and moisture content Important because they cause atmospheric disturbances. Classifying Air Masses. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Air Masses & Weather Patterns
Question of the Day
What is an Air Mass?
Air Masses
Movements of large bodies of air that originate at a source region
Characterized by temperature and moisture content
Important because they cause atmospheric disturbances
Classifying Air Masses
Depends on latitude and nature of surface of source area -Latitude P(polar), A(arctic), T (tropical) -Nature of Surface m(maritime), c(continental)
Midlatitudes
Regions between southern Florida and Alaska.
Primary weather producer is middle-latitude cyclone (low pressure system by meteorologists)
Fronts
Boundary surfaces that separate air masses from different densities. One is usually warm and has more moisture than the
other Overrunning is when warmer, less dense air is forced
up along the colder, more dense air 5 different types of fronts
Warm Cold Stationary Occluded Drylines
Warm Fronts
Warm surface air replaces area where cooler air was
Red line with semicircles on a weather mapChange in types of clouds as front
approachesLight to moderate precipitation over a large
area and for an extended period of time
Cold Front
Cold air moves into region where warmer air is
Blue line with triangles on a mapHeavy Precipitation over a shorter duration
and gusts of windCooler temperatures after storm clears
Stationary Front
Cold Mass and Warm Mass air meetLine with blue triangles and red semicircles
on mapNo movement or slow movement of air
masses so gentle/moderate precipitation for days
Occluded Fronts
Fast moving cold front over takes a warm front
Heavy rain at first then light rain as it dissipates.
Can have cold-type and warm-type occluded fronts
Drylines
Based upon humidityGenerate severe thunderstorms from Texas to
Nebraska along Great Plains