How do air masses affect weather?

How do air masses affect weather?

When winds move air masses, they carry their weather conditions (heat or cold, dry or moist) from the source region to a new region. When the air mass reaches a new region, it might clash with another air mass that has a different temperature and humidity. This can create a severe storm.

How does the ocean affect an air mass directly above it?

Maritime polar air masses form over the northern Atlantic and the northern Pacific oceans. They most often influence the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast. As they move eastward, moisture evaporates into the air, making the air mass more like a maritime tropical air mass.

Where do air masses form that affect weather in the United States?

It takes several days for an air mass to “form”, so they generally form in areas of high pressure (light winds). Five air masses affect the United States during the course of a typical year: continental polar, continental arctic, continental tropical, maritime polar, and maritime tropical.

How does ocean currents affect climate?

Ocean currents act as conveyer belts of warm and cold water, sending heat toward the polar regions and helping tropical areas cool off, thus influencing both weather and climate. The ocean doesn’t just store solar radiation; it also helps to distribute heat around the globe.

How does an air mass form?

An air mass forms whenever the atmosphere remains in contact with a large, relatively uniform land or sea surface for a time sufficiently long to acquire the temperature and moisture properties of that surface. The Earth’s major air masses originate in polar or subtropical latitudes.

How do air masses move in the United States?

Once an air mass is formed, it is moved by global winds. In the United States, global winds such as the PREVAILING WESTERLIES, tend to move air masses from WEST to EAST! Cut out each box individually. When air masses with different temperatures meet, they don’t mix together.

What air masses affect North America?

The air masses in and around North America include the continental arctic (cA), maritime polar (mP), maritime tropical (mT), continental tropical (cT), and continental polar (cP) air masses. Air is not the same everywhere.

How do wind currents affect climate quizlet?

Currents affect climate by moving cold and warm water around the globe. A surface current warms or cools the air above it, influencing the climate of the land near the coast.

What is the result of air mass movement?

The Movement of Air Masses: transporting warm air northward and colder air southward. Counterclockwise winds associated with cyclones transport heat and moisture from lower to higher latitudes and play a significant role in the movement of air masses.

What happens when air masses interact?

When two different air masses come into contact, they don’t mix. They push against each other along a line called a front. As it rises, the warm air cools rapidly. This configuration, called a cold front, gives rise to cumulonimbus clouds, often associated with heavy precipitation and storms.