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Air masses

Air masses. Air masses are large bodies of air with similar properties, such as warm and dry, or cool and moist . Air masses are classified as maritime or continental and as polar or tropical . Maritime air masses are wet and form over oceans. Air masses.

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Air masses

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  1. Air masses • Air masses are large bodies of air with similar properties, such as warm and dry, or cool and moist. • Air masses are classified as maritime or continental and as polar or tropical. • Maritime air masses are wet and form over oceans.

  2. Air masses • Continental air masses form over land and are dry. • Polar air masses are cold. • Tropical air masses are warm. • Air masses are described by using both classifications

  3. Tropical air masses • Continental tropical air masses are warm and dry. • Maritime tropical air masses are warm and wet.

  4. Polar air masses • Continental polar air masses are cold and dry. • Maritime polar air masses are cold and wet.

  5. North American air masses

  6. Weather fronts • Fronts are boundaries between air masses. • Four types are warm, cold, stationary, and occluded.

  7. Warm fronts • Warm fronts form when warm moist air moves into an area with cooler air.

  8. Cold fronts • Cold fronts form when cold dry air moves into an area with warmer air.

  9. Occluded fronts • Occluded fronts form when fast moving cold front overtakes a warm front.

  10. Stationary fronts • Stationary fronts form when warm and cold air meet but neither one moves.

  11. Polar fronts • Polar fronts are a special type of front that forms in a large ring surrounding the North Pole. These fronts can drop down into the northern U. S. and bring storms called wave cyclones.

  12. Polar fronts • Wave cyclone is typical US storm system

  13. Anticyclones • Anticyclones are high pressure systems that bring hot and dry weather. • Large storms such as hurricanes (typhoons), tornadoes, and thunderstorms also form.

  14. Weather instruments • Barometers measure air pressure. • Hygrometers measure humidity. • Thermometers measure temperature.

  15. Weather instruments • Anemometers measure wind speed. • Wind vanes measure wind direction. • Radiosonde is a package of weather instruments that is attached to a weather balloon and sent into the upper atmosphere.

  16. Weather instruments • Radar is used to track weather systems. • The newer Doppler radar also shows whether a storm is moving towards or away from you. • Weather satellites offer a large view of the weather from space.

  17. Weather instruments • Weather maps are generated from a variety of sources and are used to forecast weather.

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