AIR MASSES/FRONTS

AIR MASSES/FRONTS

SWBAT define air mass

SWBAT compare and contrast different types of fronts

What is an air mass?

An air mass is a body of air with horizontally uniform temperature, humidity, and pressure

What is a front?

A front is the boundary between two air masses. These boundaries can have significant impacts on our weather and are often the primary weather makers for the majority of the US. There are four main types of fronts: warm, cold, occluded, and stationary.

What is a warm front?

Warm fronts occur along the leading edge of warm airmasses. Along warm fronts, warm air displaces cold air and following the passage of a warm front, the temperature rises. Warm air is less dense than cold air and thus lots of warm air has to rise up and over the cold airmass before the cold gives way. An incoming warm front results in a large area of light to moderate rain.

Multiple Choice

A cold front is,,,,,

• a cold air mass that bumps against a warm air mass

• a warm air mass meets a colder air mass and slowly rises over it.

Multiple Choice

What is a warm front?

• a cold air mass bumps against a warm air mass

• a warm air mass meets a colder air mass and slowly rises over it

• two air masses meet and stop moving

• warm air mass gets caught between 2 cold air masses

Multiple Choice

What is a front?

• where warm air mass meets

• measurements to make weather maps

• a large body of air

• a place where two different air masses meet.

Multiple Choice

An air mass is

• a large body of air with about the same temperature and humidity throughout

• the amount of moisture in the air

• a place where two different air masses meet

• a cold air mass that bumps against a warm air mass