Air Masses Flashcards
What does a maritime air mass mean?
It means the air will be very moist over lakes, oceans or seas
What does a polar air mass mean?
It makes the air very cold
What does an Arctic air mass mean?
It’s bitterly cold because the wind flows over a frozen sea
What does a Continental air mass do?
It flows over land and makes the air very dry
What is a tropical air mass like?
🔥It’s warm and moist💧
What does a tropical maritime air mass bring?
Moist mild weather with low cloud and drizzle
What is a tropical continental air mass like?
Hot and dry
What is a polar continental air mass like?
Cold dry weather (February+March)
What does a cold front bring?
- heavy rain☔️
- altocumulus clouds + cumulonimbus clouds☁️
- thunder lightning ⚡️
- strong winds🚶🏻💨
What does a warm sector bring?
- Drizzle
- Warmth
- Light Stratus clouds
What does a warm front bring?
- Cirrus clouds
- Stratus/ layer cloud
- Warmish
- Windy 🚶🏻💨
- Rain
What’s another name for a high pressure system?
ANTICYCLONE
What causes high pressure?
- When air high in the atmosphere is cold it falls towards the Earth’s surface.
- Falling air increases the weight of air pressing down on the Earth’s surface
- This means high pressure
What weather does high pressure bring?
- Cold air sinks and warms
- Warm air holds more moisture so no condensation or clouds occur. (THERE ARE NO WARM/COLD FRONTS IN HIGH PRESSURE AREAS)
- Clear skies
- Light winds
What are high pressure systems like in winter?
- Clear skies
- Very low temperatures
- Calm or light winds
- No precipitation
- Frosty conditions
