Air Masses And The Weather

Question 1

Air masses

Answer 1

Large amounts of air with similar pressure, temperature and humidity

Question 2

Air masses around Ireland

Answer 2

Polar air : cool in summer, cold winter with heavy showers and strong winds
Continental air : warm and dry in summer, cold in winter with snow sometimes (makes land dry)
Tropical air : warm in summer, dry, winds, leads up to heat and thunderstorms (warm and moist)
Maritime air : warm in summer, mild in winter (moist over water)
(Diagram)

Question 3

Weather

Answer 3

The condition of the atmosphere at a given time and place. Includes temperature, pressure, rainfall, wind, humidity and sunshine.

Question 4

Air masses joined

Answer 4

Tropical maritime : moist, mild, low cloud, drizzle
Tropical continental : hot and dry
Polar maritime : cold and showery, sunshine
Polar continental: cold and dry

Question 5

Depressions

Answer 5

Area of low pressure. Pressure at centre is lower than edges. Cyclone. Front is where two air masses meet. Cold front is where cold air is pushing into hot air and lifts the hot air up. Warm front is where warm air is pushing into cold air. Winds blow towards the centre.
(Diagram)
Polar air mass ones into contact with tropical or maritime air mass. The warm air juts into the cold air and rises.
(Diagram)

Question 6

Isobar

Answer 6

A line joining places of equal atmospheric pressure.

Question 7

Anticyclone

Answer 7

Area of high pressure. Pressure is centre is higher than the edges. Air is pressing down, heats up, holds less moisture, less rain, less cloud. Winds are weak and clockwise. Isobars are far apart.
Summer : hot and sunny
Winter : clear skies and frost
(Diagram)

Question 8

The water cycle

Answer 8

1. Evaporation : the Suns beat turns the water into water vapour and it rises
2. Condensation : water vapour rises and cools to form rainy droplets or clouds
3. Precipitation : water gets blown over land and mountains and cool further. Rain, snow, hail forms and falls
4. Run-off : some water forms river, some flows back to sea, some soaks into land and goes back to sea
   (Diagram)

Question 9

Clouds

Answer 9

Cirrus : wispy, high altitude, fair weather
Cumulus : woolly, sometimes bring rain, medium altitude
Stratus : dark layers, rain, low altitude

Question 10

Relief rain

Answer 10

Clouds blown in from the sea. Forced to rise over mountainside cools further. Rain falls. Air has lost its moisture. Air sinks and warms, less rain. Rain shadow is created.
Eg : mountains in west of Ireland from moist air from Atlantic
(Diagram)

Question 11

Cyclonic rain

Answer 11

Warm air forced to rise over cold air. Air cools, condenses and rain falls.
Eg : depression over Ireland
(Diagram)

Question 12

Relief rainfall

Answer 12

Ground is warmed by sun. Warm air rises, cools and rain falls.
Eg : equator
(Diagram)