Air masses and fronts

Question 1

What is an ocean current?

Answer 1

Water in motion

Question 2

What is a surface current?

Answer 2

An ocean current that generally flows in the upper 1000 meters of the ocean.

Question 3

What causes surface currents?

Answer 3

Mainly wind, Coriolis Effect, and continental boundaries
Also they form large circular patterns called gyres.

Question 4

What are deep ocean currents?

Answer 4

Cold, deep currents that move more slowly than surface currents. (they sink)

Question 5

What causes deep ocean Currents?

Answer 5

Water density, Salinity, and temperature. (Differences in)
High salinity-sink

Question 6

What is an air mass?

Answer 6

A huge body of air that has similar temperature, humidity, and air pressure at any given height.

Question 7

What are the four major Air masses?

Answer 7

Maritime T
Maritime P
Continental T
Continental P

Question 8

Maritime T

Answer 8

Ocean, Hot, and wet

Question 9

Maritime P

Answer 9

Ocean, Cold, and wet

Question 10

Continental T

Answer 10

Land, Hot, Dry

Question 11

Continental P

Answer 11

Land, Cold, Dry

Question 12

What moves air masses?

Answer 12

Prevailing Westerlies
Fronts

Question 13

What is a front?

Answer 13

The boundary where two air masses meet, BUT DO NOT MIX. Storms and changeable weather often develop along a front.

Question 14

What is a cold front?

Answer 14

A fast moving cold air mass overtakes a warm air mass.

Question 15

What is a cold front’s symbol?

Answer 15

Blue line with Blue triangles

Question 16

What weather does a cold front bring?

Answer 16

Severe weather- Thunder storms
after the front- cool and dry

Question 17

What is a warm front?

Answer 17

Warm air mass overtakes a slower moving cold air mass.

Question 18

Warm front symbol?

Answer 18

Red line with Red half circles

Question 19

Warm front bring what weather?

Answer 19

Rainy, cloudy weather over several days.
After- warm and humid

Question 20

What is a stationary front?

Answer 20

Cold and warm air meet and neither can move the other. (They are stationary)

Question 21

Stationary front symbol?

Answer 21

Line with alternating half circles and triangles (Different sides)

Question 22

What weather does a Stationary front bring?

Answer 22

Days of clouds and percipatition

Question 23

What is an occluded front?

Answer 23

A warm mass is caught between two cooler air masses and the warm air is forced up.

Question 24

Occluded front symbol.

Answer 24

a line with alternating triangles and half circles on the SAME side.

Question 25

What weather does an Occluded front bring.

Answer 25

May turn cloudy and rain or snow may fall.