Air masses

Air masses

Types of air masses

Air Masses

A volume of air defined by its temperature and water vapor content.

What are Air Masses:

• Large Bodies of air

• Form when the air over a LARGE REGIONS sits in one place for many days

• The air gradually takes on the CHARACTERISTICS of the land or water below it

How do Air Masses Affect Our Weather?

• They move with the GLOBAL WINDS patterns

• As an air mass moves, it brings its CHARACTERISTICS with it 

• CHANGES weather

Multiple Choice

What are air masses?

• A volume of air defined by its temperature and water vapor content.

• A volume of air defined by its temperature and pressure.

• A volume of air defined by its temperature and density.

• A volume of air defined by its density and air pressure.

Air Masses:

• Air masses are formed by the HEATING and COOLING of land and water. 

• Air masses are large bodies of air that have the same TEMPERATURE and MOISTURE level throughout.

• There are FOUR (4) types of air masses:

  - CONTINENTAL POLAR (cP)

  - CONTINENTAL TROPICAL (cT)

  - MARITIME POLAR (mP)

  - MARITIME TROPICAL (mT)

• The INTERACTION between air masses can impact WEATHER, CONVECTION CURRENTS and WIND.

• 
  

Multiple Choice

Air masses are formed by the ________ and ________ of land and water.

• Heating and cooling

• Increasing volume and temperature

• cooling and increasing pressure

• Heating and increasing the density

Multiple Choice

The INTERACTION between air masses can impact,

• WEATHER,

• CONVECTION CURRENTS

• WINDS.

• All of the above

How do we describe moisture?

• The FIRST word of an air mass tells us WHERE the mass was formed (over WATER or LAND)

• Continental

  - Air masses formed over LAND

  - Moisture=DRY

• Maritime

  - Air masses formed over WATER

  - Moisture=WET

Multiple Choice

Continental Air mass is formed over

• land

• water

Multiple Choice

Maritime Air mass is formed over

• land

• water

How do we describe temperature?

• The SECOND word of an air mass tells us if the air mass was formed close to the EQUATOR or POLE

• Tropical

  -Air masses formed near the EQUATOR

  -Temperature=WARM AIR

• Polar

  -Air masses formed closer to the POLES

  -Temperature=COLD AIR

Multiple Choice

Which statement best describes the general movement of air masses?

• They move from areas of high altitude to areas of low altitude.

• B.They move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.

• They move from areas of high humidity to areas of low humidity

• They move from areas of low temperature to areas of high temperature.

Multiple Choice

Which result most likely occurs when cold and warm air masses collide?

• A.The cold air mass pushes under the warm air mass.

• The warm air mass pushes under the cold air mass.

• The cold air mass and the warm air mass remain stationary.

• The cold air mass and the warm air mass mix to create a new air system.

Multiple Choice

Which statement best describes the movement of winds?

• Winds blow from low-pressure to high-pressure regions.

• Winds blow from high-pressure to low-pressure regions.

• Winds blow from north to south.

• Winds blow from east to west.

Multiple Choice

Continental-Tropical Air Mass

• Dry, warm air

• Dry, cold air

• Wet, warm air

• Wet, cold air

Multiple Choice

Maritime-Polar air mass

• Dry, warm air

• Dry, cold air

• Wet, warm air

• Wet, cold air

Multiple Choice

Continental-Polar Air mass

• Dry, warm air

• Wet, warm air

• Dry, cold air

• Wet, cold air

Multiple Choice

Maritime-Tropical Air Mass

• Dry. warm air

• Wet, warm air

• Dry, cold air

• Wet, cold air