Lesson 2 What are air masses?
May 24, 2015
Lesson 2What are air
masses?
kinds of air masses• air mass= large body of air w/
similar prop. through it
4 kinds ofair masses
Continental tropical
Continental polar
Maritimetropical
Maritimepolar
Continental tropical
forms over Landwarmdry
Continental polar
Forms over LandColddry
Maritime tropical
Forms over waterwarm
Humid (moist)
Maritime polar
Forms over WaterCold
Humid (moist)
Air mass
• Form when air stays over an area for some time
• Take on temp. & water vapor of that area
• Move by upper level winds
What kind of air mass would form
here?
What characteristics would an air mass that formed here
have?
What characteristics would an air mass that formed here
have?
What kind of air mass would form here?
front
• boundary between 2 air masses
• named from kind of air that moves into area
stationary front
•does not move very much or moves back & forth