Maps, Air Masses, and Fronts

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: ______