Air masses and fronts Flashcards
What is an ocean current?
Water in motion
What is a surface current?
An ocean current that generally flows in the upper 1000 meters of the ocean.
What causes surface currents?
Mainly wind, Coriolis Effect, and continental boundaries
Also they form large circular patterns called gyres.
What are deep ocean currents?
Cold, deep currents that move more slowly than surface currents. (they sink)
What causes deep ocean Currents?
Water density, Salinity, and temperature. (Differences in)
High salinity-sink
What is an air mass?
A huge body of air that has similar temperature, humidity, and air pressure at any given height.
What are the four major Air masses?
Maritime T
Maritime P
Continental T
Continental P
Maritime T
Ocean, Hot, and wet
Maritime P
Ocean, Cold, and wet
Continental T
Land, Hot, Dry
Continental P
Land, Cold, Dry
What moves air masses?
Prevailing Westerlies
Fronts
What is a front?
The boundary where two air masses meet, BUT DO NOT MIX. Storms and changeable weather often develop along a front.
What is a cold front?
A fast moving cold air mass overtakes a warm air mass.
What is a cold front’s symbol?
Blue line with Blue triangles
What weather does a cold front bring?
Severe weather- Thunder storms
after the front- cool and dry
What is a warm front?
Warm air mass overtakes a slower moving cold air mass.
Warm front symbol?
Red line with Red half circles
Warm front bring what weather?
Rainy, cloudy weather over several days.
After- warm and humid
What is a stationary front?
Cold and warm air meet and neither can move the other. (They are stationary)
Stationary front symbol?
Line with alternating half circles and triangles (Different sides)
What weather does a Stationary front bring?
Days of clouds and percipatition
What is an occluded front?
A warm mass is caught between two cooler air masses and the warm air is forced up.
Occluded front symbol.
a line with alternating triangles and half circles on the SAME side.
What weather does an Occluded front bring.
May turn cloudy and rain or snow may fall.
