Download 2 Air masses and fronts

Large body of air that has same
temp & amount of moisture
throughout
•Move due to winds & air
currents
1. Moist = form over water
2. Dry = form over land
3. Warm = form over low latitudes (near
equator)
4. Cold = form over high latitudes (near poles)
Polar Air Mass is a cold air mass
1. Continental polar
dry & cold formed over land
2. Maritime polar
cold & moist formed over oceans
Tropical Air Mass = warm air mass
(forms over equator)
1. Continental tropical = warm & dry
formed over land
2. Maritime tropical = warm &
moist formed over oceans
•Region between air masses
•Usually results in a change of weather
(usually precipitation)
1. Cold Front =
when cold air mass pushes into &
under warm air mass
•Brief, heavy downpours, gusty
winds, cooler temperatures
2. Warm Front =
when warm air mass pushes over
cooler air mass
•Light precipitation, warmer
temperatures for a day or 2
Cold front: A = cold air; B =
warm air. Here cold air
moves towards a warm air
mass and forces the warm air
to rise.
Warm front: A = cold air; B
= warm air. Here warm air
moves towards a mass of cold
air and rises.
3. Stationary Front =
when a cool & warm air mass stay in
one place for a while
•“Highs”
•Center of air masses
•Clear skies, dry weather,
gentle winds
•Air currents will move out
•Winds blow clockwise in northern
hemisphere
•“Lows”
•Edges of air masses
•Cloudy, wet, strong, gusty
wind
•Air currents will move in
•Winds blow counterclockwise in
northern hemisphere