Download Air Masses 2014

Air Masses
Chapter 16 section 2
S6E4.b – Relate unequal heating of
land and water surfaces to form
large global wind systems and
weather.
S6E4.c – Relate how moisture
evaporating from the oceans affects
the weather patterns and the
weather events such as hurricanes.
Air Masses
Air mass – is a large body of air where
temperature and moisture content are
similar throughout.
 Moisture content and temp are
determined by the area over which the
air mass forms called source regions.
 Represented on maps by two-letter
symbols; first letter – moisture
content, second letter - temperature
Symbols
C = continental (land)
M = maritime (water)
P = polar, cold
T = tropic, warm
• Continental
polar (cP)-
• cold winter
weather to the US
• summer brings
cool, dry weather.
• Maritime polar
(mP)
• Cool, moist
weather (rain and
snow)
• from the
Northern Pacific
and Atlantic
oceans.
• Maritime
tropical
(mT)
• Warm waters of
the Pacific and
Atlantic Ocean.
• Warm, humid,
moist weather
• Summer - storms
• Continental
tropical
(cT)
• brings clear, dry,
hot weather into
the US
Air Masses of North America
Review
1. What are the major
air masses that
influence the weather
in the United States?
2. What is one source
region of a maritime
polar air mass?
1. Continental polar,
maritime polar,
maritime tropical,
and continental
tropical.
2. The North Pacific
and the North
Atlantic Oceans.
Review
3.Why does the
Pacific Coast
have cool, wet
winters and
warm, dry
summers?
3. Cool, wet
winters are
affected by a
maritime polar
air mass.
Summers are
affected by a
dry continental
air mass.