Chapter 17 - Air masses Flashcards
Air mass
A large body of air moving nearly uniform condition of temperature and humidity
Air mass source regions
Notably stagnant with little pressure gardient and unofmr surface features. This allows the air to take on the characteristic of the surface over which it lies
What are the Bergeron classification of air masses?
Moisture properties at source (continental or Maritime area), Thermal properties of source region (tropical; polar: and less recently, artic or antarctic: monsoon and equatorial), whether the air is cold or warm…. relative to the surface over which is moving.
What are the characteristics of tropical and equatorial air masses, and how do their properties differ based on their development over land and ocean?
Tropical and equatorial air masses are hot. They develop at lower latitudes. Those that develop over land are direr and hotter than those develop over the ocean
Continental Polar air masses is…
Cold and dry
Continental tropical air masses are…
a type a type of tropical air produced by the subtropical ridge over large areas of land
What are three main air masses that affect Europe?
Polar maritime, Tropical maritime and tropical continental… and sometimes polar continental
The final properties of an air mass are governed by what?
By its track and speed
Provide the final properties of an air mass (track and speed)
Maritime tracks, which increase the relative and absolute humidity of the air mass