Air Masses

Presented by: Lauren, Mina, Evan

Air Masses Defined

Air Masses: Air Masses are large bodies of wind, with similar temperatures and density.

Sizes of Air Masses

Generally covers thousands of square kilometers. Can vary in sizes; smaller variations can occur. Large size makes weather periods longer

High and Low Pressure System

Low Pressure - rises -warm moist air High Pressure -sinks -less moist

Fronts and pressure systems

High pressure systems

o
o

Cold fronts displace an area of warm fronts. Warm air starts to rise, and high clouds form.

Low pressure systems

o o

Warm fronts displace cold fronts Stretched clouds

Weathers of Low and High Pressure

Low Pressure
o

Fickle weather cloudy Windy Rainy/Snowy

High Pressure
o o

Dry weather no clouds

Fronts

Transition zone between two different masses

o o

temperature humidity

The water condenses out of the atmosphere

o o

Forms clouds Rain

Types of fronts

Warm fronts Cold fronts Stationary fronts

Occluded fronts

Air Masses Quiz

1) What do you think would allow for air masses to be so large? 2) Which direction does the air go, for low and high pressure? Why is this happening? 3) Explain why warm air would rise, rather than colliding with the cold air when cold fronts come in. 4) What kind of weather is in low and high pressure places? Give at least two examples. Why? 5) How does a Front form? 6)Which type of front makes the warm air rise up?

Quiz Answers
1) Air masses can be accounted for their large size due to the flat geographical areas. 2) In a low pressure system, the air rises because the air around is warm. However, in a high pressure system the air sinks because the air is much colder. 3) Warm air is less dense than cold air. Therefore, when cold fronts collide with warm fronts, the warm front is displaced at a steeper angle and higher clouds form. 4) In a low pressure system, it usually becomes rainy, snowy, cloudy, and windy. This happens because since the air rising is so moist when it reaches a certain height in the sky it cools and makes clouds that leads to wind, rain and snow. In a high pressure system, it is usually dry and have no clouds. This happens because since the air sinking is cold, there is less moisture which makes the weather dry. 5) Two different air mass meets together and forms a front(boundary)

References
Websites
Jan. 15, 2013 http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/synoptic/airmass.htm
Jan. 15, 2013 http://www.atmosphere.mpg.de/enid/3sf.html Jan. 15, 2013 http://www.eo.ucar.edu/kids/sky/air5.htm Jan. 16,2013 http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/.../cold_front.html Pictures

Jan.16,2013 http://www.universetoday.com/83058/cold-front/
Jan. 15, 2013 http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/synoptic/images/airmasses.gif Jan. 15, 2013 http://web.gccaz.edu/~lnewman/gph111/topic_units/Pressure_winds/pressure/pressure2.html http://www.williamsclass.com/EighthScienceWork/Atmosphere/WeatherHighsAndLows.htm http://www.flying-geeks.com/notes/atmospheric-pressure/ http://earthsciencecenter.wordpress.com/2010/11/06/sun-angles-coriolis-effect-low-and-highpressures/