METEROLOGY NOTES

What is meteorology?

Meteorology is the study of atmospheric phenomena.

Short-term variation in atmosphere weather.

What are air masses?

An air mass is a large volume of air that has the same characteristics such as humidity and
temperature, as its source region.
TYPES OF AIR MASSES
1. The origins of maritime tropical air are tropical bodies of water.
2. The southwestern United States and Mexico are the source regions of continental
tropical air, which is hot and dry, especially in summer.
3. Maritime Polar air masses form over the cold waters of the North Atlantic and
North Pacific.
4. Continental polar air masses form over the interior of Canada and Alaska, and
carry frigid air southward in the winter.
5. Earths ice- and snow- covered surfaces above 60 degrees N latitude in Siberia and
the Arctic Basin are the source regions of arctic air masses.

What are the global wind systems? (COROLIS AFFECT)

1. Polar easterlies- are the wind zones between 60 degrees N latitude and the north
pole, and 60 degrees S latitude and the south pole.

2. Prevailing westerlies- are the wind systems on Earth located

between latitudes 30 degrees N and 60 degrees N, and 30 degrees S
and 60 degrees S.
3. Trade winds- between latitudes 30 degrees N and the equator is a
circulation belt.

What are the 4 types of Fronts?

-A collision of two air masses forms a front- a narrow region between two
air masses of different
1. Cold front when cold, dense air displaces warm, it forces the warm,
which is less dense.
2. Warm Front- advancing warm air displaces cold air along a warm front.
3. Stationary Front- when two air masses meet but neither advances,
the boundary between them stalls.
4. Occluded front- sometimes, a cold air mass moves so rapidly overtakes a warm front and
forces the warm air upward. A warm air mass is squeezed upward between two cold air
masses.
What are pressure systems?
1. Low pressure systems=air rising precipitation and clouds.
2. High pressure= not rising but sinking clear skies and fair weather.

What tools do we use to measure weather?

-A thermometer measures temperature using either the Fahrenheit or Celsius scale

-A barometer measures air pressure
-An anemometer measures wind speed
-A hygrometer measures relative humidity
-The instrument used for gathering upper- atmosphere data is a radiosonde
-Doppler Radar it predicts the speed at which precipitation moves toward or away from a
radar station.
-Weather satellites

How do we communicate the data once we have collected it?

-A station model is a record of weather data for a particular site at a particular time.
-Lines of equal pressure are called isobars.
-Lines of equal temperature are called isotherms.
TYPES OF FORECAST
-Digital forecast is analyzing current weather data.
-Analog forecast- comparing current weather patterns with similar patterns from
the past