Air Masses and Fronts
Terms
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- air mass
- huge body of air in the troposphere that has similar pressure, moisture, wind and temperature characteristics throughout.
- source region
- where an air mass forms that give characteristics to the air
- maritime air mass
- air masses that develop over water are moist
- continental air mass
- dry air
- polar air mass
- air mass developed at high latitudes that are cold
- tropical air mass
- lower latitude air mass that are warm
- cyclones and anticyclones
- air masses which differ in air pressure at center and direction in which winds spiral.
- cyclones
- a low pressure air mass with winds moving in a clockwise direction in towards its center
- anticyclone
- a high pressure air-mass with winds moving in a clockwise direction away from center
- fronts
- its the boundary between two air masses
- warm fronts
- form when warm air meets and rises above cool air on the ground
- cold front
- occurs when cold air meets and pushes out warm air
- cumulonimbus
- clouds that are associated with thunderstorms, come quickly and brings precipitation for a short time
- occluded front
- occurs when a faster moving cold fontcatches up to a warm front and lifts warm air between two fronts
- stationary front
- occurs when a warm airm mass and cold mass are side-by-side with neither air-mass moving