22 Cards in this Set
Q. What is the coldest of all air masses?
Type 1: The Coldest of All Air masses at the Polar Regions form between 60 degrees latitude and the North or South Pole. Northern Canada and Siberia are common sources of these cold, dry masses, although they can also form over water. Because they are extremely dry, polar masses have few clouds.
Table of Contents
Q. What is cold air mass?
An air mass is a large body of air with generally uniform temperature and humidity. The area over which an air mass originates is what provides its characteristics. Arctic air masses, designated by the letter ‘A’, are very cold as they originate over the Arctic or Antarctic regions.
| A good source region for an air mass would be | generally flat areas of uniform composition with light surface winds |
|---|---|
| Which air mass would show the most dramatic change in both temperature and moisture content as it movesover a large body of very warm water? | cP in winter |
| The coldest of all air masses is | cA. |
Q. Why is there no mA air mass?
An air mass, then, is named by the combination of its humidity and temperature designation. The very cold high latitude air does not hold much moisture and does not have heavy evaporation or precipitation, so mA air is also not found. It is cA or very cold and dry.
Q. What is a transition zone between two air masses?
Fronts: the boundaries between air masses. A front is defined as the transition zone between two air masses of different density. Fronts extend not only in the horizontal direction, but in the vertical as well.
Q. What happens when two areas of air have different pressure?
High in the atmosphere, air pressure decreases. A low pressure system has lower pressure at its center than the areas around it. Winds blow towards the low pressure, and the air rises in the atmosphere where they meet. As the air rises, the water vapor within it condenses, forming clouds and often precipitation.
