Exploring Air Masses and Fronts in Aviation Weather

The video explains air masses, large regions of air with similar characteristics, and how they form over different areas like tropical oceans or polar regions. As they move, they change and interact with other air masses, creating fronts. The four types of fronts—warm, cold, stationary, and occluded—are discussed, each with unique characteristics and weather effects. Warm fronts bring high humidity and layered clouds, while cold fronts can cause thunderstorms. Stationary fronts linger with mixed weather, and occluded fronts result from fast cold fronts overtaking warm fronts, leading to varied weather conditions.

What are air masses?

• Air pockets found only in tropical regions

• Small pockets of air with varying characteristics

• Large regions of air with similar characteristics

• Regions of air that never change

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Where can air masses form?

• Only over oceans

• Only over polar regions

• Over warm tropical oceans, cold dry polar regions, or dry deserts

• Only over deserts

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

What is a front?

• A type of cloud

• The boundary between two air masses

• A type of precipitation

• A weather phenomenon that occurs only in winter

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

How many types of fronts are there?

• Five

• Four

• Three

• Two

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

What happens during a warm front?

• Two air masses do not move

• Cold air catches up to warm air

• Warm air overtakes cold air

• Cold air overtakes warm air

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

What type of clouds are associated with warm fronts?

• No clouds

• Cirrus clouds

• Stratiform or layered clouds

• Cumulus clouds

How fast do cold fronts typically move?

• 60 to 70 miles per hour

• 5 to 10 miles per hour

• 10 to 25 miles per hour

• 25 to 30 miles per hour

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

What weather phenomenon can cold fronts develop into?

• Fog

• Hail

• Thunderstorms or a squall line

• Snow

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

What occurs during a stationary front?

• One air mass quickly moves the other out of the way

• Cold air overtakes warm air

• Two air masses meet but neither moves the other

• Warm air overtakes cold air

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

What is an occluded front?

• A front that only occurs in deserts

• A front formed when a cold front catches up to a warm front

• A front that never moves

• A front that only occurs in polar regions

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5