Air Masses Defined

An air mass by definition is a large dome of air which has similar horizontal
temperature and moisture characteristics. As well, air masses often have a rather
homogeneous temperature lapse rate above the influence of the surface layer. At any
given time, an estimated fifty distinct air masses are scattered across the face of the
planet. Some are newly born entities and strongly reflect their birthing ground. Others
are old and travel-scarred with only the smallest commonality with their place of origin
remaining.

Air Mass Classification

approximately fifty distinct air masses can be identified globally in the lower atmosphere.
Most cover thousands of square kilometres of surface and extend several kilometres
vertically. Each one bears the mark of the region in which it was formed. Some of the
fifty are young and fresh. Others are old and greatly transformed. Some are moving
across the planet at speeds covering several hundred kilometres each day, others are
nearly stationary.

Air masses acquire their characteristic temperature and moisture (or absolute humidity)
signature from the source regions over which they are born. The ideal source region is
one with light winds, particularly in the upper atmosphere so that the air mass remains
in place long enough to acquire the temperature and moisture properties of the
underlying surface throughout the air mass. Therefore, middle latitude regions where the
weather systems move quickly across their surface, driven by fast-moving upper level air
currents such as the jet stream are not good air mass breeding grounds

At varied intervals, portions of these semi-permanent high pressure cells break away to
form vagabond air masses that hitch a ride on strong upper air currents and travel the
globe.
Areas dominated by extensive areas of high pressure and light winds are the ideal
breeding grounds
for air masses. There are several such regions of extensive, semi-permanent high
pressure around the globe, in particular, two latitude belts in each hemisphere: one in
the polar regions, the other in the subtropics.









High polar latitudes and the subtropics around 30 degrees latitude are both good
source regions, whose relative strength waxes and wanes with the solar seasons. Open
ocean expanses, large deserts and extensive continental plains at high or low latitudes
are the ideal birthing grounds within these belts. Mountainous areas are too variable in
their properties, and mid-latitude continental plains are not conducive to air masses
staying in place for long because of the strength of the prevailing westerly global winds
at these latitudes. Mid-latitude oceans can be source regions under certain conditions
because their surfaces have very uniform characteristics.

From the characteristic properties picked up in their breeding ground, air masses are
designated as hot or cold, wet or dry. The terms are to some degree relative. A cold
air mass in summer may be as warm as a warm air mass in winter. Each air mass has a
characteristic temperature and moisture content and thus we can distinguish four
combinations: hot and dry; hot and wet; cold and wet; and cold and dry. Bergeron
actually gave us two additional temperature categories by defining "very
hot" and "frigid" air masses for those forming over the equator and polar regions,
respectively


The first dimension of the Bergeron classification system is the latitude zone of air
source region which governs the air mass's temperature characteristics. There are four
such zones in the system

Equatorial (E) Arctic or Antarctic (A or AA)
Tropical (T) Polar (P)


The letter in parentheses is that used to label air masses on weather maps. Next, are the
two underlying surface characteristics of the source region that affect the resulting air
masses:

Maritime or Oceanic Surfaces (m)
which create relatively humid air masses

Continental or Land Surfaces (c)
which create relatively dry air masses



The combination of the above gives us eight air mass types, but because Arctic
(Antarctic) and Equatorial air masses only have one moisture character, we are left with
the six basic air mass types given below:




Air Mass Type, Temperature Characteristic, Moisture Characteristic
Arctic or Antarctic
(A or AA) Extremely cold, formed over poles. Very dry due to extreme cold.
Polar Continental
(cP) Very cold, having developed over sub-polar regions. Very dry, due to the cold and
having developed over land.
Polar Maritime
(mP) Very cool because of the high latitude but not cold, due to moderating influence of
the sea and the warm ocean currents at these latitudes. Moderately moist because of the
cool temperature, but not as dry as polar continental air because of evaporation from the
water surface.
Tropical Continental
(cT) Very warm because of the lower sub-tropical latitude of formation. Dry because it
formed over land
Tropical Maritime
(mT) Very warm because of the sub-tropical latitudes at which it forms. Very humid
because of the warm tropical waters below.
Equatorial
(E) Hot. Extremely humid. Continental is not differentiated from maritime because much
of equatorial land is covered with humid tropical rainforests. On some weather maps, the
lowercase letter"k" or "w" may be attached to the two-letter abbreviation describing an
air mass. The "k" indicates that the air moving across a region is colder than the land
surface temperature. while "w"indicates that the air is warmer than the land surface
temperature. Thus, cold continental polar air flowing over warmer land surfaces would
be designated as cPk.


Air Masses Classification

Arctic (A):

Extremely cold temperatures and very little moisture typify Arctic air masses. They
usually originate north of the Arctic Circle, where winter days of 24-hour darkness allow
the air to chill to extremely low temperatures. Such air masses break southward across
Canada and the USA during winter, but very are rarely seen at lower latitudes during the
summer because the 24-hour sun warms the Arctic region considerably and the polar
front and accompanying jet stream generally remains at higher latitudes.



Continental polar (cP): Cold and dry, Continental polar masses are not as cold as
Arctic air masses. These usually form further south in the subpolar Canadian North and
Alaska and often dominate the weather picture across the continent during winter.
Continental polar masses do form during the summer, but mostly influence only Canada
and the northern USA. These air masses are usually responsible for bringing clear and
pleasant weather during the summer

Maritime polar (mP): Cool and moist conditions characterize Maritime polar air
masses. They usually bring cloudy, damp weather. Maritime polar air masses form over
the northern Pacific and the northern Atlantic Oceans. These generally influence the
Pacific Northwest and the Northeast, respectively. Maritime polar air masses can form
any time of the year and are usually not as cold as continental polar air masses in winter
because of the moderating influence of the sea surface beneath them.





Maritime tropical (mT):

Warm temperatures with copious moisture typify Maritime tropical air masses. They are
most common across the eastern US and southeastern Canada originating over the
warm waters of the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
These air masses can form year round, but they are most prevalent during summer.
Maritime tropical air masses are responsible for the hot, humid days of summer across
much of the eastern half of the continent. Such air masses are often called the Bermuda
High because of their birthplace within the subtropical zone around and east of Bermuda.

Continental Tropical (cT):

Hot and very dry, Continental tropical air masses usually form over the Desert
Southwest and northern Mexico during summer, often keeping the region scorching
above 38o Celsius (100o Fahrenheit) during summer. They can bring record heat to the
US Plains and the Mississippi Valley during summer, but they usually do not make it to
the eastern and southeast US or into Canada as cT air masses. As they move eastward,
moisture evaporates into the air, transforming the air mass to become more like a
maritime tropical air mass. Continental tropical air masses very rarely form during
winter.


Equatorial (E) air masses, the remaining category, rarely visit the contiguous United
States and almost never reach Canada, but these air masses are an important weather
factors for the southern nations of North America: southern Mexico, Central America and
many of the Atlantic island nations.