Name: ______Period : ______
Maps, Air Masses, and Fronts
Weather Maps
Doppler Radar – gives us maps on precipitation and where it is moving.
Satellites – gives us maps on ______.
Temperature, water vapor
Isobars – lines on a weather map that connect lines of equal air pressure.
“Isosbaros” – equal ______
National Weather Service/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website:
Besides radar and satellite maps, what are 2 other things you can find from this website?
1. ______
2.______
Air Masses - Defined
An air mass is a large body of ______that has similar temperatures and moisture throughout.
Can come from land (continental) or sea (maritime).
______air masses tend to come from the tropics. (Tropical)
Cold air masses tend to come from north of the U.S. (Polar).
Air Masses - Types
We combine the moisture classification with the temperature classification to characterize the air masses.
Continental Polar (cP) – dry and ______
Continental Arctic (cA) - dry and very cold
Continental Tropical (cT) – dry and warm
Maritime Polar (mP) – ______and cold
Maritime Tropical (mT) – moist and warm
National Geographic Air Masses Video:
When air masses meet, what do they create? ______
______
What is a front?
A front is the ______that forms between two different air masses.
Fronts occur in the ______latitudes because there are both warm and cold air masses there.
Types of Fronts:
______
Cold
______
Stationary
Front Symbols:
Warm Front
A warm front occurs when a ______air mass meets a cold air mass.
The warm air mass overtakes the cold air mass because the warm, less dense air moves over the cold air and gradually replaces it.
Brings ______precipitation
Clear and warm when it is gone
Cold Front
Cold air mass meets a warm air mass.
The cold, more dense air moves ______the warm air mass and pushes it up.
Moves ______.
Thunderstorms, heavy rain, or snow
Cold weather follows a cold front.
Occluded Front
A faster moving cold air mass ______a slower moving warm air mass and forces the warm air mass up.
The cold air mass continues until it meets another cold air mass that is warmer.
The cold air mass then forces this air mass to rise.
It has cool temperatures and large amounts of ______.
In other words, when a cold front catches up to a warm front. (A warm air mass sandwich :))
Stationary Front
Cold air mass meets a warm air mass and does not move much (it’s stationary).
The weather similar to a ______front.
Write what score you received on the Study Jams Quiz: ______