Fronts, Air Pressure, and Air Masses

Air Mass and Air Pressure

PRESSURE! Pushing down on me, pressing down on you...these are the days it never rains but it pours...this is our last dance, this is ourselves...under pressure...pressure.

Learning Objective:

• We will identify how global patterns of atmospheric movement influence local weather using weather maps that show high and low pressures and fronts.

Air Mass

A body of air with uniform temperature, humidity, and pressure.

Where can Air Masses form?

• Continental Air Masses form over land.

• Maritime Air Masses form over water.

What about the temperature of Air Masses?

• Cold air masses tend to come from the North, Northwest, or West.

• Warm air masses ten to come from the South, Southeast, or East.

Multiple Choice

What is an Air Mass?

• Farts.

• A body of air with uniform temperature, humidity, and pressure.

• The measure of the weight of air above us in the atmosphere.

• A degree of hotness or coldness that can be measured using a thermometer.

Multiple Choice

Air Masses can form over land and water.

• True

• False

Multiple Select

What are the names of the two types of air masses? Check all that apply.

• Maritime

• Oceanic

• Continental

• Serendipitous

Multiple Select

Where do Cold Air Masses come from? Check all that apply.

• North

• Northwest

• West

• Southwest

Multiple Select

Where do Warm Air Masses come from? Check all that apply.

• South

• Southeast

• East

• Kanye West

What is a Front?

A boundary between two air masses that differ in temperature, humidity, and density.

Frontal Movement

Cooler air masses are more dense and move towards areas that are less dense, warm, and moist.

Cold Fronts and Warm Fronts

What do you notice?

Poll

A Front is a boundary between two air masses that differ in temperature, humidity, and density.

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

A mass of cold air pushing away warm, moist air and replacing it with cooler, drier air:

• Occluded Front

• Stationary Front

• Warm Front

• Cold Front

Multiple Choice

A mass of warm air that catches up to a cooler air mass, moves over it, and usually creates light rain:

• Stationary Front

• Cold Front

• Warm Front

• Occluded Front

Poll

A Cold Front can cause:

• An increase in air pressure.

• Showers and thunderstorms.

• Colder, drier air.

Poll

A Warm Front can cause:

• Lower air pressure.

• Widespread, continuous precipitation.

• Warm, moist air.

Occluded Front

What do you notice?

Multiple Choice

In an Occluded Front, two Cold Air Masses converge on a Warm Air Mass.

• True

• False

Poll

An Occluded Front can cause:

• Thundershowers

• Clear skies

Stationary Front

An area where cold and warm air masses meet, but neither has the force to push the other one, resulting in light rain that stays in the area for days.

Multiple Select

A Stationary Front causes: (Check all that apply)

• Blue Skies

• Light Rain

• Cloudy Skies

• High Winds

Meteorologist:

An expert in weather forecasting.

Barometer:

A glass tube filled with mercury that rises and falls with the change of atmospheric pressure.

Poll

Did you learn new things about the weather during this lesson?

• Yes.

• No.

• Yes, and I want to learn more!

• No, I already knew these things.

Open Ended

How can I make this lesson better?

Open Ended

Do you have any questions? (If you post them here, don't forget to post them in your Jamboard!)