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Chapter 20 - Air Masses and Fronts Quiz Review
1. What is an air mass? An air mass is a large body of air with uniform temperature and uniform moisture.
2. If a cold air mass moved over the Ashburn area, what would change? Temperatures would drop
3. How are Air Masses classified? Air masses are classified by temperature and humidity
4. Which air mass causes most of the precipitation in the eastern United States? Maritime Tropical over the
Caribbean Sea
5. Which two air masses mainly influence much of the east coast? Maritime Tropical and Continental Polar
6. Why do you think the Continental Tropical air mass centered over northern Mexico has little influence on
weather in the east? Air Masses don’t travel far from their source regions.
7. Air masses that form over land are called CONTINENTAL while air masses that form over water are
called MARITIME.
8. What is a warm front? The boundary between advancing warm air mass & a colder air mass it is displacing
9. What forms when a cold front overtakes a warm front? An occluded front
10. What happens along stationary fronts? the front stops moving forward, producing clouds & precipitation
11. What kind of weather is associated with cold fronts? Wind, heavy rain, Thunderstorms, Lightning, clearing
and colder air after front passes
12. How is the direction that a front is moving determined? Move in the direction the symbol is pointing
13. How are weather fronts named? By the type of air mass that is moving
14. What forms at the boundary between two different air masses? A front
15. Which types of fronts are most likely to produce thunderstorms? Cold and Occluded fronts
Fill in the blank:
16. The CONTINENTAL tropical air mass can cause very hot, drought-like conditions during summer on the
Great Plains.
17. Heavy rain, on the windward slopes of mountains near the Pacific, is caused by the uplift of air in
MARITIME polar air masses.
18. A middle-latitude cyclone is an area of LOW pressure.
19. At a(n) STATIONARY front, the flow of air is almost parallel to the line of the front.
Please answer the following in complete sentences
20. a) A warm, moist air mass moves northwest over a cool, arid area. How will the air mass affect the area it
moves over? It will bring warmer temperatures and rain
16. b) How will this affect the air mass? The air mass will eventually cool down and become drier.
21. a) Describe the weather conditions that occur during the passing of a warm and cold front
Warm Front: Nimbostratus clouds with gentle, steady rain ahead of the front.
Cold Front: Cumulonimbus clouds with heavy rain and thunderstorms
Use the figure below to answer the following questions:
C
A
G
E
D
B
F
22. Which air masses bring cool, dry air to large regions of eastern North America? CONTINETAL POLAR or
CONTINENTAL ARCTIC
23. The air masses labeled A & G are classified as MARITIME POLAR
24. The air masses labeled B and F would bring warm, moist air to the United States.
25.
26.
27.
28.
The air mass labeled D would be represented by the symbol cT.
The air mass labeled E would be represented by the symbol cP.
The air mass labeled B or F would be represented by the symbol mT
The air mass labeled A or G would be represented by the symbol mP.
In the space below, draw the following symbols that would appear on a weather map: