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Download Air Masses - Smyth County Schools
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Air Masses and Air Mass Weather By Diana L. Duckworth Rustburg High School Campbell County Virginia Air Masses • Very large body of air with uniform heat and moisture – Forms in region with uniform conditions of heat and moisture • Source area • Described by temperatures & humidity – Use air temperature & dew point temperature Five Types of Air Masses • mT Maritime Tropical – Forms over tropical oceans (low latitudes) – High humidity & high temperatures • mP Maritime Polar – Forms over polar oceans (high latitudes) – High humidity & low temperatures • All Maritime air masses have high humidity Five Types cont’d • cT Continental Tropical – Forms over tropical land masses (low latitudes) – Dry (low humidity) and high temperatures • cP Continental Polar – Forms over polar land masses (high latitudes) – Dry (low humidity) and low temperatures • cA Continental Arctic – Forms over the arctic land masses (near poles) • Very dry & very cold • All continental air masses are dry cA cP mP mP cT mT mT Air Mass Source Regions • Polar air masses form at high latitudes • North of Polar Front & Jet Stream • All polar air masses are cold • Tropical air masses form at low latitudes • South of the subtropical Jet Stream • All tropical air masses are hot Air Mass Weather • 75% of the time weather is controlled by air masses • Air masses form in one place and move into another area of different condtions • Kind of weather depends on two things: – Difference in temperature between air mass & ground – Amount of moisture in air Tropical Air Masses Move North • Warm air over colder surface • Heat flows from air to land (air cools) • Cold air is stable, does not rise • Continental air masses dry, clear weather • Maritime air masses humid, fog forms when air cools Polar Air Masses Move South • Colder air over warmer surface • Heat flows from land to air, so air gets warm • Warm air rises – unstable atmosphere • Continental air masses – fair weather cumulus clouds • Maritime air masses – rising air produces showers
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