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Answer Key HW #1
Lesson Vocabulary
• air mass: large body of air with about the same temperature and humidity throughout
• cold front: boundary between two air masses in which a cold air mass pushes a warm air mass
upward
• front: boundary that forms where two air masses with different characteristics meet
• occluded front: front that forms when a cold front overtakes a warm front, so a warm air mass
is trapped
between two cold air masses
• squall line: line of thunderstorms that forms at the edge of a cold front
• stationary front: boundary between air masses that are stalled in the same place
• warm front: boundary between two air masses in which a warm air mass replaces a cold air
mass
2. What conditions must be present for air to sit over a location long enough to acquire the
characteristics of the land
or water beneath it?
• [Generally, air must sit over a high- or low-pressure zone to remain in one location long
enough to acquire the
characteristics of the land or water beneath it.]
3. How does latitude affect the creation of air masses in tropical, temperate, and polar zones?
• [Latitude affects the temperature of air masses that are created in tropical, temperate, and
polar zones. Tropical
air masses are warm, temperate air masses are moderate, and polar air masses are cold.]
4. Why are the directions fronts move in the Southern Hemisphere a mirror image of the
directions they move in the
Northern Hemisphere?
• [Fronts are boundaries between moving air masses. Cold air masses tend to move toward the
equator and
warm air masses tend to move toward the North or South Pole. This means that air masses in
the Southern
hemisphere flow in opposite directions to those in the Northern Hemisphere, making them a
mirror image of
those in the Northern Hemisphere.]
5. How is a stationary front different from a cold or warm front?
• [Unlike a cold or warm front, a stationary front has air masses that do not move for several
days.]
6. What sort of weather will you experience as a cold front passes over you?
• [As a cold front passes over you, you are likely to experience stormy weather.]
7. What sort of weather will you experience as a warm front passes over you?
• [As a warm front passes over you, you are likely to experience cloudy weather and
precipitation.]
8. How does an occlusion form?
• [An occlusion usually forms around a low pressure system. The occlusion starts when a cold
front catches up
to a warm front, so a warm air mass is flanked by two cold air masses.]
Points to Consider
How do the various types of fronts lead to different types of weather?
• [Various types of fronts lead to different types of weather because air masses interact
differently at different
types of fronts. For example, at a cold front, a cold air mass forces a warm air mass up over it,
producing
sudden stormy weather. At a warm front, in contrast, a warm air mass gradually flows over a
cold air mass,
producing increasing cloudiness and perhaps light precipitation.]
Why are some regions prone to certain types of weather fronts and other regions prone to other
types of weather
fronts?
• [Different types of air masses form in different regions. The movement of air masses and the
types of fronts
they form depends on the type of air mass and the direction they move. For example, warm air
masses form
over equatorial and tropical regions and generally move away from the equator. Cold air
masses form over
polar regions and generally move toward the equator. The movement of air masses is also
influenced by
prevailing winds, so different regions are prone to different types of air masses and fronts
depending on the
direction of the winds they generally receive.]