1. Please find this page in your notes toward the end
Air Masses
Please find this page in your notes toward the end

2. Air Masses
Air Mass: a large volume of air with about the same temperature, humidity, and pressure throughout

3. air masses influence weather conditions
*Build up for a few days and then drift across Earth’s surface due to wind.
air masses influence weather conditions
*Take on the conditions of the region it forms over and covers

4. Air masses formed over land are dry/low humidity; those formed over water are moist/high humidity.
Those formed over warm regions are warm; those formed over cold regions are cold.

5. Continental c Tropical T Maritime m Polar P
HUMIDITY TEMPERATURE
Name Symbol Formed Over Condition Name Symbol Formed Over Condition
Continental c Tropical T
Maritime m Polar P

6. Continental c land Maritime m HUMIDITY
Name Symbol Formed Over Condition
Continental c land
Maritime m

7. Continental c land dry Maritime m HUMIDITY
Name Symbol Formed Over Condition
Continental c land dry
Maritime m

8. Continental c land dry Maritime m water HUMIDITY
Name Symbol Formed Over Condition
Continental c land dry
Maritime m water
The prefix mar- means “sea”
Maritime
Marine Land
Marine
Mariner
Frutti di Mare (seafood dish)

9. Maritime m water moist/humid
HUMIDITY
Name Symbol Formed Over Condition
Continental c land dry
Maritime m water moist/humid
The prefix mar- means “sea”
Maritime
Marine Land
Marine
Mariner
Frutti di Mare (seafood dish)

10. Continental c land dry Tropical T Maritime m water moist Polar P
HUMIDITY TEMPERATURE
Name Symbol Formed Over Condition Name Symbol Formed Over Condition
Continental c land dry Tropical T
Maritime m water moist Polar P

11. TEMPERATURE Name Symbol Formed Over Condition
Tropical T
Polar P

12. Tropical T lower latitude Polar P
TEMPERATURE Name Symbol Formed Over Condition
Tropical T lower latitude
Polar P

13. Tropical T lower latitude warm Polar P
TEMPERATURE Name Symbol Formed Over Condition
Tropical T lower latitude warm
Polar P
Tropical = formed near equator and in tropics region
23.5o N to 23.5 oS

14. Tropical T lower latitude warm Polar P higher latitude
TEMPERATURE Name Symbol Formed Over Condition
Tropical T lower latitude warm
Polar P higher latitude
Polar = formed near poles and in arctic region
66.6 oN

15. Tropical T lower latitude warm Polar P higher latitude cold
TEMPERATURE Name Symbol Formed Over Condition
Tropical T lower latitude warm
Polar P higher latitude cold

16. Continental c land dry Tropical T lower latitude warm
HUMIDITY TEMPERATURE
Name Symbol Formed Over Condition Name Symbol Formed Over Condition
Continental c land dry Tropical T lower latitude warm
Maritime m water moist Polar P higher latitude cold

17. Polar Air Masses Formed over cold regions
Continental polar air masses:
formed over _____, _______ & _______
Symbol – cP Ex) _______________

18. Polar Air Masses Formed over cold regions
Continental polar air masses: formed over land, dry & cold
Symbol – cP Ex) ________________

19. Polar Air Masses Formed over cold regions
Continental polar air masses: formed over land, dry & cold Symbol – cP Ex) Canada

20. Continental polar air masses

21. Polar Air Masses Formed over cold regions
Maritime polar air masses: Maritime polar air masses: formed over ____, ________ & _______ Symbol – mP Ex) ________________ ________________

22. Polar Air Masses Formed over cold regions
Maritime polar air masses: Maritime polar air masses: formed over water, moist/humid & cold Symbol – mP Ex) ________________ ________________

23. Polar Air Masses Formed over cold regions
Maritime polar air masses: formed over water, moist/humid & cold Symbol – mP Ex) North Atlantic Ocean North Pacific Ocean

24. Maritime polar air masses

26. Tropical Air Masses Formed near the tropics (equator)
Continental tropical air masses: formed over tropical ___, _____ & _____ Symbol – cT Ex) _______________

27. Tropical Air Masses Formed near the tropics (equator)
Continental tropical air masses: formed over tropical land, dry & warm Symbol – cT Ex) _______________

28. Tropical Air Masses Formed near the tropics (equator)
Continental tropical air masses: formed over tropical land, dry & warm Symbol – cT Ex) Northern Mexico Texas

29. Continental tropical air masses

30. Tropical Air Masses Formed near the tropics (equator)
Maritime tropical air masses: formed over oceans, ______ & ________ Symbol – mT Ex) __________________, __________________, __________________

31. Tropical Air Masses Formed near the tropics (equator)
Maritime tropical air masses: formed over oceans, moist & warm Symbol – mT Ex) __________________, __________________, __________________

32. Tropical Air Masses Formed near the tropics (equator)
Maritime tropical air masses: formed over oceans, moist & warm Symbol – mT Ex) Southern Atlantic Ocean Gulf of Mexico Southern Pacific Ocean Caribbean Sea

33. Maritime tropical air masses

35. Prevailing Winds
Winds that commonly blow in ___________________ at a given latitude Ex) In the U.S. winds typically move from west to east because of the Earth’s rotation Air masses are pushed by the winds and when two air masses that have different conditions (temperature, pressure, humidity) meet then “weather” takes place and unstable, stormy conditions are likely to occur. (Think of Tornado Alley)

36. Prevailing Winds
Winds that commonly blow in the same direction at a given latitude Ex) In the U.S. winds typically move from west to east because of the Earth’s rotation

37. Prevailing Winds
Winds that commonly blow in the same direction at a given latitude Ex) In the U.S. winds typically move from west to east because of the Earth’s rotation Air masses are pushed by the winds and when two air masses that have different conditions (temperature, pressure, humidity) meet then “weather” takes place and unstable, stormy conditions are likely to occur. (Think of Tornado Alley)