1. Air Masses & Fronts
Earth Science
Mr. Cloud

2. Air Mass
A large body of air in the troposphere with similar characteristics of pressure, moisture, and temperature

3. Types of Air Masses

4. Synoptic Weather Map

5. Cold Front
the boundary of an advancing cold air mass and warm air mass, where the underlying cold air pushes forward like a wedge

6. Warm front
is the boundary of an advancing warm air mass and a retreating wedge of a cooler air mass; warm air rises over the cooler air

7. How do we locate fronts on weather maps?
Helpful Hints:
locate a steep temperature gradient
locate a steep pressure gradient
find an abrupt change in wind direction
locate regions of precipitation