Air Masses and

Fronts
 Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the air masses and fronts.
2. Describe the characteristics of air
masses based on their regions.
3. Identify the fronts’ different types.
AIR
MASS
 AIR MASS
- a large body of air with generally uniform temperature and
humidity. The area over which an air mass originates is what
provides its characteristics.
- is an extremely large body of air whose properties of
temperature and humidity are fairly similar in any
horizontal direction at any given altitude.
SOURCE
REGION
 SOURCE REGION
- are regions where air masses originate. The longer
the air mass stays over its source region, the more
likely it will acquire the properties of the surface below.
- In order for a huge mass of air to develop uniform
characteristics, it’s source region should be generally
flat and of uniform composition with light surface
winds.
 Divisions of Air Masses
There are two broad overarching divisions of air masses based
upon the moisture content:
1. Continental air masses - designated by the lowercase letter 'c',
originate over continents are therefore dry air masses.

2. Maritime air masses - designated by the letter 'm', originate

over the oceans and are therefore moist air masses.
 Categories of Air Masses
Each of the two divisions are then divided based upon the
temperature content of the surface over which they originate:

1. Arctic air masses

- designated by the
letter 'A' or 'AA', are very
cold as they originate over
the Arctic (A) or Antarctic (AA)
regions.
 Categories of Air Masses
Each of the two divisions are then divided based upon the
temperature content of the surface over which they originate:

2. Polar air masses

- designated by the letter 'P',
are not as cold as Arctic air
masses as they originate over
the higher latitudes of both
land and sea.
 Categories of Air Masses
Each of the two divisions are then divided based upon the
temperature content of the surface over which they originate:

3. Tropical air masses

- designated by the
letter 'T', are warm/hot as
they originate over the
lower latitudes of both
land and sea.
 Categories of Air Masses
Each of the two divisions are then divided based upon the
temperature content of the surface over which they originate:

4. Equatorial air masses

- designated by the letter
‘E', are warm as they
originate near the Equator.
 Major types of Air Masses
Continental Arctic (cA) - typically extremely cold and
dry. Continental Antarctic (cAA) - also exceedingly cold
but drier than its arctic counterpart as its source region
is a continent.
Continental Polar (cP) -considered cold and dry but
warmer than the arctic air mass to its north.
 Major types of Air Masses
Continental Tropical (cT) - originates in the great desert areas of
Earth (e.g., Sahara, Arabian, and Australian).
- extremely low humidity is due to the lack of available water.
Maritime Polar (mP) - cool and moist; brings mild weather to
coastal locations.
Maritime Tropical (mT) - warm and moist; responsible for much
of the precipitation east of the Rocky Mountains.
North America is affected by 5 types
of air masses:
FRONTS
 FRONTS
- a transition zone between two different air masses at the
Earth's surface. Each air mass has unique temperature and
humidity characteristics. Often there is turbulence at a front,
which is the borderline where two different air masses come
together. The turbulence can cause clouds and
storms.
Different
Types of
Weather
Fronts:
 Different Types of Weather Fronts:
1. Cold Front
- forms when a cold air mass pushes into a warmer air
mass. Cold fronts can produce dramatic change in the
weather. They move fast, up to twice as fast as a warm front.
As a cold front moves into an area, the heavier (more dense)
cool air pushes under the lighter (less dense) warm air,
causing it to rise up into the troposphere.
Cold Front
 Different Types of Weather Fronts:
2. Warm Front
- forms when a warm air mass pushes into a cooler air mass.
Warm fronts often bring stormy weather as the warm air mass
at the surface rises above the cool air mass, making clouds
and storms. Warm fronts move more slowly than cold fronts
because it is more difficult for the warm air to push the cold,
dense air across the Earth's surface.
Warm Front
 Different Types of Weather Fronts:

3. Stationary Front
- forms when a cold front or warm front stops moving. This
happens when two masses of air are pushing against each
other, but neither is powerful enough to move the other.
Winds blowing parallel to the front instead of perpendicular
can help it stay in place.
Stationary
Front
 Different Types of Weather Fronts:

4. Occluded Front
- the cold air mass from the cold front meets the cool
air that was ahead of the warm front. The warm air
rises as these air masses come together. Occluded
fronts usually form around areas of low atmospheric
pressure.
Occluded Front
An upper-air front (which is also known as upper front, or
upper-tropospheric front) is a front that is present aloft. It
may or may not extend down to the surface.
1.
ASSESSMENT:
Is a body of air in the lower atmosphere that has the same temperature and

humidity.

a. Air mass b. Air pressure

c. Air wind d. Source regions

2. Air masses originate over a large body of water are also known as oceanic.

a. Continental Air masses b. Maritime Air masses

c. Tropical Air masses d. Polar Air masses

3. Is the form where cold air moves under warm air which is less denser.

a. Cold front b. Warm front

c. Occluded front d. Stationary front

4. Forms when warm air masses is caught between two colder air masses the

colder air masses moves under and pushes of the warm air mass the coldest

air mass then moves forward until it meets a cold air mass that is warmer and

less dense.

a. Cold front b. Warm front

c. Occluded front d. Stationary front

5. Where the warm and cold air meet and stall, clouds and fog form, and it

may rain or snow. It could bring many days of clouds and precipitation.

a. Cold front b. Warm front

c. Occluded front d. Stationary front

6. What types of air mass will form over polar waters?

a. Continental Artic (cA) b. Continental Polar (cP)

c. Continental Antarctic (AA) d. Continental Tropical (cT)

7. Far from North Canada near the artic circle is called?

a. Continental Antarctic (cAA) b. Continental Polar

(cP)

c. Continental Tropical (cT) d. Maritime Tropical (mT

8. Where do the Air masses form?

a. Latitude b. Equator

c. Suource Region d. Continental

9. What are the characteristics of Continental Tropical (cT)

a. Bitter cold and warm b. Warm and humid

c. Bitter cold and dry d. Hot and dry

10. What are the characteristics of maritime polar (mP)?

a. Cold and moist b. Hot and dry

c. Warm and Humid d. Bitter cold and warm

 KEY ANSWER:

1. a. 6. a.
2. b. 7. b.
3. a. 8. c.
4. c. 9. d.
5. d. 10. a.