Airmasses

Learning Objectives
Identify key features of various air masses and
describe the weather associated with each type.

Describe how air masses form and explain how
air masses affect global weather patterns.

Interpret the information on a synoptic weather
chart to ascertain air masses

Air Masses
Air masses are large bodies of air which
have the same characteristics throughout.

The air must remain over an area for
several days.

The ideal conditions will be found where
there is a permanent anticyclone.
Description of air masses
Air masses are either warm or cold
Source region
Polar or tropical.
Air masses either form at sea or land
Sea Maritime
Land - Continental

ITCZ - Animation
Qu. What is an air mass?
An air mass is a large body of air with
similar temperature and/or humidity.

Qu. Where do air masses form.
They form in stable source regions such
as the sub tropics or near the poles.
Qu. Where are the high pressure belts?
Northern
Canada
Greenland
Arctic Ocean
Siberia
Tropical
Ocean
Tropical
Ocean
Tropical
Ocean
Sahara
Tropical
Ocean
Tropical
Ocean
Tropical
Ocean
Antarctica
Source regions of Air Masses
Permanent
anticyclone
Azores
Sahara
Greenland
Siberia
Arctic
Air mass (name)

Tropical Maritime
Tropical Continental
Polar Maritime
Polar Continental
Arctic Maritime
Air Mass Classification
Cold & moist
Arctic Maritime
(A or Am)
Cold & dry Polar Continental (Pc)
Cool & moist Polar Maritime (Pm)
Warm & dry Tropical Continental
(Tc)
Mild & moist Tropical Maritime (Tm)
Tc Pc
(winter)
Tm Pm Am rPm
Summer Winter Long
sea
track
Short
sea
track
Exposed Sheltd
T Near
sea
tempera
ture
Warm
Humidity
Change
of lapse
rate
Little
change
Cooled
from
below
Heated
from
below
Little
change
Cooled
from
below
Warmed
in
summer
Heated
from
below
Heated
from
below
Heated
from
below
Stability
Weather Broken
cloud,
dry

Vis
Tropical continental (Tc)
Source region Sahara
(North Africa)
Cooled from below
Stable (Un?)
Dry air mass
Heat wave in Summer
Usually good vis
(haze? Pollution)


Tropical Continental (Tc)
Source Region
North Africa / Sahara

Synoptic Situation
High Central Europe
Tropical Continental (Tc)
Summer Winter
Temperature: Very warm or hot Average
Humidity: Relatively dry Rather moist
Stability: Generally stable Stable
Weather: Clear, occasional
thundery showers
Usually cloudy
Visibility: Moderate or poor Moderate or poor
Generally British Isles during summer

Initially unstable but dry picks up moisture over Med, usually too dry
for pptn

Stable over UK

SW winds aloft can inject moisture to give Shws or TK

Vis mod or poor pollution & Saharan dust storms
Polar Continental (Pc)
Source region Siberia
Reaches UK with NE or E
winds.
High pressure North of
UK
Mainly wintertime
May pick up moisture
(track?)
Perhaps clouds
Vis varies


Polar Continental (Pc) Winter
Source Region
Eastern Europe

Synoptic Situation
High Scandinavia

Weather
Polar Continental (Pc)
Long Sea Track Short Sea Track
Temperature: Cold Very Cold
Humidity: Moist in lowest layers Very dry
Stability: Unstable Stable
Weather: Rain or snow showers Clear
Visibility: Good bar showers

Moderate or poor
Eurasian land mass, N of 50 N & E of 25 E.
Occurs in Winter Nov/Apr ( in summer land mass warms up no H
pressure cell)
H over Scan, surface winds Ely.
Air v cold & dry.
Longer sea track unstable, moisture added, E coast showers of rain /
snow
May onward gives form of Tc air (Sea fog on East Coast)
Short sea track clear skies & frost
Tropical maritime (Tm)
Source region
Azores (Caribbean)
Cooled by the sea
Stable
Little or no moisture
lost
Coasts sea fog
Weather south west
dull, warm ocast.


Tropical Maritime (Tm)
Source Region
Azores

Synoptic Situation
Low S of Iceland

Weather
Azores
Tropical Maritime (Tm)
Exposed Sheltered
Temperature: Near sea temperature Warm
Humidity: Very moist Moist
Stability: Stable Stable aloft
Weather: Low cloud, drizzle, fog Broken cloud, dry
Visibility: Often poor with
coastal fog
Moderate
Source region: Atlantic Ocean - Azores / Bermuda

Warm sector of a depression

Warm & moist in lower layers passage over cooler waters

STABLE & close to saturation

Uplift causes low cloud & drizzle fog?

Polar Maritime (Pm)
Most common
Source region
Greenland
Warmed by the sea
unstable
Showers on West
coast


Polar Maritime (Pm)
Source Region
Greenland

Synoptic Situation
Low N of Iceland

Weather
Polar Maritime (Pm)
Summer Winter
Temperature: Cool Rather cold
Humidity: Moist Moist
Stability: Unstable Unstable
Weather: Showers in western
UK
Heavy showers,
sometimes with hail
and thunder mainly in
exposed western and
hilly areas
Visibility: Good bar showers Good bar showers
Air starts v cold & dry

Long journey over warm Atlantic T rises rapidly

Unstable moisture content rises rapidly

Instability shws over sea & W and N British Isles

Seasonal & diurnal changes give variations
Arctic (A)
Source region Arctic
Basin
Winter/spring
Sea passage aka Am
Showers of snow and
hail
Scotland
Windward coasts
N.Sea.
Cold!


Arctic Maritime (Am)
Source Region
Arctic

Synoptic Situation
Low Scan

Weather
Arctic Maritime (Am)
Summer Winter
Temperature: Cold Cold (<Pm)
Humidity: Fairly Moist Moist (<Pm)
Stability: Unstable Unstable
Weather: Heavy showers or
thunderstorms
Heavy showers, sometimes
with snow, hail and thunder
mainly in northern Scotland
and exposed coastal areas.

Visibility: V Good bar shws V Good bar shws
Blocking H to west of Ireland L S Scan

Similar to Pm shorter sea track air colder & lower humidity
Unstable over UK

Oct to May hail showers or snow N Scot & down east coast.
(NFD forming in this air mass widespread & heavy snow)

Uncommon in Summer heavy shwrs, TK & low T
Returning Polar Maritime
Source region
Greenland but travels
south before turning
North towards the UK
Cold air mass which is
warmed heading south
and cooled heading north
leads to a wide variety
of weather
Stratus cloud hill fog or
Cb clouds and showers


Ret Polar Maritime (rPm)
Source Region
Greenland but long sea
track

Synoptic Situation
Slow moving L mid Atlantic

Weather
Ret Polar Maritime (rPm)
All year
Temperature: Warm (warmer than polar maritime)
Humidity: Moist (moister than polar maritime)
Stability: Stable at low levels; unstable aloft
Weather: Variable cloud, possible showers
Visibility: Mainly Good
Var of Pm

Long sea track air south over N Atlantic (unstable) then NE over UK
(stable)

Slow moving L in mid Atlantic, deep trough extending S.

Stable or Unstable!!
Tc Pc Tm Pm Am rPm
Summer Winter Long
sea
track
Short
sea
track
Exposed Sheltd
T Near
sea
tempera
ture
Warm
Humidity
Change
of lapse
rate
Little
change
Cooled
from
below
Heated
from
below
Little
change
Cooled
from
below
Warmed
in
summer
Heated
from
below
Heated
from
below
Heated
from
below
Stability
Weather Broken
cloud,
dry

Vis
Tc Pc
Summer Winter Long sea
track
Short sea
track
T Very warm
Or hot
Average Cold Very cold
Humidity Relatively dry Rather moist Moist in
lowest layers
Very dry
Change of
lapse rate
Little change Cooled from
below
Heated from
below
Little change
Stability Generally
stable
Stable Unstable Stable
Weather Clear, ocanl
TK showers
Clear Rain or snow
showers
Clear
Vis Mod or poor Mod or poor Good Mod or poor
Tm Pm Am
Exposed Sheltered
T Near sea
temperature
Warm Rather cold Cold
(< Pm)
Humidity Very moist Moist Moist Fairly moist
(< Pm)
Change of
lapse rate
Cooled from
below
Warmed in
summer
Heated from
below
Heated from
below
Stability Stable Stable aloft Unstable Unstable
Weather Low cloud,
drizzle
Broken cloud,
dry
Variable
cloud,
showers
Showers
(mainly
coastal)
Vis Often poor
with coastal
fog
Moderate Good bar
showers
V. Good bar
showers
Pm Am rPm
T Rather cold Cold
(< Pm)
Warm (> Pm)
Humidity Moist Fairly moist
(< Pm)
Fairly moist
(< Pm)
Change of lapse
rate
Heated from
below
Heated from
below
Heated from
below
Stability Unstable Unstable Unstable
Weather Variable cloud,
showers
Showers
(mainly coastal)
Showers
(mainly coastal)
Vis Good bar
showers
V. Good bar
showers
V. Good bar
showers
Other Air Masses?
Other Air Masses
Eq Equatorial regions
Temp? / Humidity? / Weather?
Clouds? / Pptn?.
Other Air Masses
Eq Equatorial regions
V. warm moist and unstable
Passage over hotter land areas
produces Cu & Cb to a high level
rainfall in large quantities.
Other Air Masses - USA
Air Mass & Wx?
19-21 March
Spain: Heavy snow leads to some
significant travel disruption.
In Burgos, more than 1,000 lorries
were trapped in the snow.
20cm of snow fell in the Basque
region.
On Tenerife (30N) 12 people were
trapped in their cars in Las Canada
del Teide after heavy snow fell.
Switzerland
37cm of snow fell in a few hours.
Austria
Nearly 50cm of snow fell in some
parts, cutting power to around 40,000
people as power lines came down.
Analysis chart 00Z 20 March 2007
Air Mass & Wx?
Air Mass & Wx?
Air Mass & Wx in Channel?
Napoli
Wight Portland Plymouth
southwesterly 6 or 7, increasing gale 8 to storm 10, perhaps violent
storm 11 later. Very rough becoming high. rain or showers. moderate,
occasionally poor. Seas 11.5m
Air Mass & Wx?
Air Mass & Wx?
Qu 1) Which is correct?
a) Tropical air is stable because it is
heated from below.
b) Tropical air is unstable because it is
cooled from below.
c) Tropical air is stable because it is
cooled from below.

Qu 2) Which air mass would move over the
UK if pressure was high over Scandinavia
and there was surface winds from the East?

Polar Continental
Qu 3) Which air mass could cause advection
fog in the SW approaches to the UK in the
spring.
Tropical Maritime
Problems w / air masses?
a) No universal agreement on air mass
classification
Major differences from continent to continent

b) Conditions rarely uniform in source
regions
Characteristics of air masses
reaching the UK
A
Pc
Pm
Tc
Tm
Air
Condition
Sky RH Temp. Source Air
Mass
Characteristics of air masses
reaching the UK
Unstable
Cu Low
Medium
Very
Low
Arctic
Ocean
A
Stable St?
(turb)
Low Very
Low
Siberia
Pc
Unstable
Cu Medium Low /
High
Greenland
Pm
Stable Clear Low Very
High
Sahara
Tc
Stable Covered
with St
High High Azores
Tm
Air
Condition
Sky RH Temp. Source Air
Mass
Tc Pc Tm Pm Am rPm
Summer Winter Long
sea
track
Short
sea
track
Exposed Sheltd
T Near
sea
tempera
ture
Warm
Humidity
Change
of lapse
rate
Little
change
Cooled
from
below
Heated
from
below
Little
change
Cooled
from
below
Warmed
in
summer
Heated
from
below
Heated
from
below
Heated
from
below
Stability
Weather Broken
cloud,
dry

Vis
Tc Pc
Summer Winter Long sea
track
Short sea
track
T Very warm
Or hot
Average Cold Very cold
Humidity Relatively dry Rather moist Moist in
lowest layers
Very dry
Change of
lapse rate
Little change Cooled from
below
Heated from
below
Little change
Stability Generally
stable
Stable Unstable Stable
Weather Clear, ocanl
TK showers
Clear Rain or snow
showers
Clear
Vis Mod or poor Mod or poor Good Mod or poor
Tm Pm Am
Exposed Sheltered
T Near sea
temperature
Warm Rather cold Cold
(< Pm)
Humidity Very moist Moist Moist Fairly moist
(< Pm)
Change of
lapse rate
Cooled from
below
Warmed in
summer
Heated from
below
Heated from
below
Stability Stable Stable aloft Unstable Unstable
Weather Low cloud,
drizzle
Broken cloud,
dry
Variable
cloud,
showers
Showers
(mainly
coastal)
Vis Often poor
with coastal
fog
Moderate Good bar
showers
V. Good bar
showers
Pm Am rPm
T Rather cold Cold
(< Pm)
Warm (> Pm)
Humidity Moist Fairly moist
(< Pm)
Fairly moist
(< Pm)
Change of lapse
rate
Heated from
below
Heated from
below
Heated from
below
Stability Unstable Unstable Unstable
Weather Variable cloud,
showers
Showers
(mainly coastal)
Showers
(mainly coastal)
Vis Good bar
showers
V. Good bar
showers
V. Good bar
showers
Learning Objectives
Identify key features of various air masses and
describe the weather associated with each type.

Describe how air masses form and explain how
air masses affect global weather patterns.

Interpret the information on a synoptic weather
chart to ascertain air masses
Tc Pc
(winter)
Tm Pm Am rPm
Summer Winter Long
sea
track
Short
sea
track
Exposed Sheltd
T Near
sea
tempera
ture
Warm
Humidity
Change
of lapse
rate
Little
change
Cooled
from
below
Heated
from
below
Little
change
Cooled
from
below
Warmed
in
summer
Heated
from
below
Heated
from
below
Heated
from
below
Stability
Weather Broken
cloud,
dry

Vis
Tc Pc
(winter)
Tm Pm Am rPm
Summer Winter Long
sea
track
Short
sea
track
Exposed Sheltd
T Near
sea
tempera
ture
Warm
Humidity
Change
of lapse
rate
Little
change
Cooled
from
below
Heated
from
below
Little
change
Cooled
from
below
Warmed
in
summer
Heated
from
below
Heated
from
below
Heated
from
below
Stability
Weather Broken
cloud,
dry

Vis