1. AIR MASSES AND FRONTS
Chapter 16 Section 2

2. Air Masses
An air mass is a large body of air that develops over a particular region.
Warm air forms over tropical regions near the equator.
T- Tropical
Cold air forms over polar regions.
P- Polar
Wet air masses form over water
m- maritime
Dry air masses from over land.
c- continental

3. Air masses Moisture content is noted by the first letter.
m – maritime – wet
c – continental – dry
Temperature is noted by the second letter.
P – polar – cool
T – tropical - warm

6. Air Masses mP- maritime polar air mass cP – continental polar air mass
mT – maritime tropical air mass
cT – continental polar air mass

7. Fronts A front is a boundary between air masses. Cold front Warm front
Four types of fronts and map symbols
Cold front
Warm front
Occluded front
Stationary front

8. COLD FRONT
What is a cold front? A cold front forms when a cold air mass pushes under a warm air mass.
Bring thunderstorms, rain or snow.
This produces cumulonimbus clouds.
Cold front followed by cooler drier air.

9. WARM FRONT
What is a warm front? A warm front forms when a warm air mass moves up and over a cold air mass.
This produces stratus and cirrus clouds.
Brings drizzly precipitation.
Followed by clear warm weather.

10. STATIONARY FRONT
What is a stationary front? A stationary front forms when a warm air mass and a cold air mass meets but neither advances.
Many days of cloudy, wet weather.

11. OCCLUDED FRONT
What is an occluded front? An occluded front forms when a fast moving cold air mass overtakes a slower warm air mass.
Brings cool temperatures with large amounts of rain or snow

12. Cold Front, Warm Front and Occluded Front Animation
Click on the above links.

14. Quiz: Take this on the paper provided.
1. Describe a maritime polar (mP) air mass, in terms of moisture and temperature.
2. What is the name of an air mass that forms over water?
3. What is the name of an air mass that forms over land?
4. What is the name of an air mass that forms in a cold region?
5. What is the name of an air mass that forms in a warm region?
6. Describe a continental tropical (cT) air mass, Moisture and temperature.
7. The boundary between two air masses is called a ______________________.
8. A cold air mass meets and pushes a warm air mass out of the way.
What type of front am I?
9. A warm air mass is trapped between to cold air masses.
10. A warm air mass meets and pushes a cold air mass out of the way.
11. I am a front that brings drizzly rain and am followed by warm clear weather. Name me
12. A cold air mass meets a warm air but neither is very strong. They are separated and many days of wet , cloudy weather occur.