Chapter 9 PPT Flashcards
Airmass
A large body of air with relatively uniform thermal and moisture characteristics
What are two different different types of airmass characteristics?
- Moisture Characteristics
- Thermal Characteristics
What are the two Moisture characteristics? of air masses?
- Maritime
- Continental
What are the moisture characteristics of Maritime?
- Moist
- Forms Over Water
What are the moisture characteristics of Continental?
- Dry
- Forms Over Land
What are the three Thermal Characteristics of air masses?
- Arctic
- Polar
- Tropical
What are the thermal characteristics of Arctic?
-Very Cold
What are the thermal characteristics of Polar?
-Cool to cold
What are the thermal characteristics of Tropical?
-Warm to Hot
What type of locations are air masses typically at?
Flat locations with constant pressure of moisture conditions, mainly the flat lans.
What type of air masses create High sea level pressure?
Relatively cold air masses
- Bitter Cold
- Cool Maritime
What type of air masses create Low sea level pressure?
Relatively warm air masses?
- Hot air masses
- Maritime Air masses in the winter
What are Fronts?
A boundary between different air masses
Why do we care about fronts?
they create weather, resulting in the formation of clouds and precipitation
Cold Fronts?
A front that separates warm and cold air masses, and the cold are is advancing and lifting the warm air.
Arctic Front
A cold front that marks the leading edge of an advancing arctic air masses (Really Cold)
Warm Front
A front that separates warm and cold air masses, with the cold air retreating and the warm air advancing.
For cold fronts, is it conditionally unstable in front or behind the front?
Infront of front
For warm fronts, is it conditionally unstable in front or behind the front.
Behind the front
Stationary Front
A boundary that separates cold and warm air masses, where neither air masses is advancing nor retreating.
Out of a warm front, cold front, and stationary front, which one would most likely be associated with a flood?
Stationary Front
Occluded Front
A boundary between cold and colder air masses with warm air aloft
Does a cold occlusion Front have coldest air, in front or behind it?
Coldest air behind
Does a warm occlusion front have coldest air, in front or behind?
Coldest air ahead
Dry line
A front characterized by sharp moisture differences rather than sharp temperature differences
Ahead of a dry line, is the weather warm and humid?
Yes
Upper level front
An airmass boundary that is present aloft but not at the surface
The centers of cold air masses are often associated with low pressure on surface weather maps. (T/F)
FALSE
By definition, an airmass must make contact with the surface. (F/T)
FALSE
The presence and intensity of precipitation along a cold front is determined by the characteristics of the warm air ahead of the front. (T/F)
TRUE
Clouds that develop along warm fronts typically are layered in nature and any precipitation tends to be more widespread and steady than precip formed by cold fronts. (T/F)
TRUE
Flooding can be a significant hazard associated with stationary fronts
TRUE
