Punzalan, Nicole D.

BSED 3 - Science

AIR MASSES AND FRONTS

1. Define the following terms:

1.1. Air mass
➢ A large volume of air in the atmosphere that is mostly uniform in
temperature and moisture.

1.2. Source regions

➢ An extensive region of the earth's surface where large masses of air
having uniform temperature and humidity conditions characteristic of
the region originate.

1.3. Arctic outbreak

➢ There is no set definition for an arctic outbreak, so the use of the term is
up to the discretion of the forecaster. It seems to me, however, that
'arctic outbreak' should be a term reserved for record setting or
dangerous cold.

1.4. Front
➢ Interface or transition zone between two air masses of different density
and temperature; the sporadic flareups of weather along this zone, with
occasional thunderstorms and electrical activity.

1.5. Squall line

➢ A group of storms arranged in a line, often accompanied by “squalls” of
high wind and heavy rain.

1.6. Frontolysis
➢ the dissipation or weakening of an atmospheric front. In contrary to
areas of "Frontogenesis", the areas where air masses diverge are called
areas of frontolysis.

1.7. Frontogenesis
➢ The generation or intensification of a front. It occurs when warm air
converges onto colder air, and the horizontal temperature gradient
amplifies by at least an order of magnitude.

1.8. Overrunning
➢ A condition existing when an air mass is in motion aloft above another
air mass of greater density at the surface.
 1.9. Cold air damming
➢ Is common along the East Coast of the United States and occurs when
a layer of cold air gets trapped between the coast and inland mountains.

1.10. Dryline
➢ Is a boundary that separates a moist air mass from a dry air mass. Also
called a "Dew Point Front", sharp changes in dew point temperature can
be observed across a dry line.

1.11. Wavy warm front

➢ is a disturbance that runs along a cold front and slows its clearance,
often bringing a longer period of wet weather.

1.12. Snow squalls

➢ a sudden, brief, and intense storm of wind and
snow : a squall accompanied by snow

2. What are the different air masses according to their source region? Describe each
and provide a picture of each.

(This is the representation of the world map where different air masses according to
their region is being indicated in the picture)
➢ Arctic air masses - form in the Arctic region and are very cold.
➢ Tropical air masses - form in low-latitude areas and are moderately
warm.
➢ Polar air masses - take shape in high-latitude regions and are cold.
➢ Equatorial air masses - develop near the Equator, and are warm.
3. What are the six basic air masses? Describe each.

➢ Continental Arctic - The continental Arctic air mass develops only in the winter
over large areas of snow and ice. It is extremely cold and dry due to frigid
conditions near the polar circle, caused in part by polar nights, which are periods
of 24-hour darkness.
➢ Continental Polar - The continental polar air mass forms over a large, subpolar
land area. It is cold and stable and has low humidity. This type of air mass creates
very cold winter weather without precipitation or clouds.

➢ Continental Antarctic - As the name suggests, the continental Antarctic air mass
forms solely over Antarctica. It is stable, extremely cold and extremely dry. It has
colder temperatures than any other air mass during any season. Travel over the
ocean modifies this air mass.

➢ Continental Tropical - Continental tropical air is produced over the world’s

deserts, including the Sahara, Arabian and Australian deserts. The southwestern
desert in the U.S. is also a source of this type of air mass during the summer. The
air mass is hot and has extremely low humidity.

➢ Maritime Polar - The maritime polar air mass forms over cold, polar oceans. It is
cool and moist and can create mild weather in coastal areas depending on the
time of year. In the winter, it produces warmer weather when the surface
temperature of the ocean is higher than the land temperature. In the summer, it
brings cooler weather when the ocean is colder than the continent.

➢ Maritime Tropical - The principal type of maritime air is maritime tropical. This
very warm and humid air mass develops over tropical and subtropical seas and
oceans.
4. Differentiate between a cold front and a warm front.
➢ A cold weather front is defined as the changeover region where a cold air mass is
replacing a warmer air mass. Cold weather fronts usually move from northwest to
southeast. The air behind a cold front is colder and drier than the air in front. When
a cold front pass through, temperatures can drop more than 15 degrees within an
hour.

➢ A warm weather front is defined as the changeover region where a warm air
mass is replacing a cold air mass. Warm fronts usually move from southwest to
northeast and the air behind a warm front is warmer and moister than the air
ahead of it. When a warm front pass, the air becomes noticeably warmer and
more humid than it was before.

5. What is a “back door” cold front?

➢ A back door cold front is a cold front that approaches from the east or northeast.
The winds behind the back door cold front come from those same directions. This
type of front can occur when the clockwise rotation around high pressure brings
colder air toward the south and west. This type of front can also occur to the north
of a developing area of low pressure. The term back door cold front is most
commonly used in the northeast U.S. when cool Atlantic maritime air moves in
from the east or northeast and replaces warmer continental air.
6. What are the typical weather conditions associated with a cold front in the Northern
Hemisphere?
➢ A cold front is often associated with showers and thunderstorms. The cold air,
which is relatively dense, undercuts the displaced warm air, forcing it to rise. In
extreme cases, the resulting instability may lead to the formation of a squall line
of severe thunderstorms and possibly tornadoes parallel.

7. What is a frontal inversion?

➢ A frontal inversion occurs when a cold air mass undercuts a warm air mass and
lifts it aloft; the front between the two air masses then has warm air above and
cold air below.

8. Explain TROWAL.
➢ TROugh of Warm Air ALoft. Typically used during winter weather, it is a "tongue"
of relatively warm/moist air aloft that wraps around to the north and west of a
mature cyclone. It is best analyzed between 750-550 millibars using equivalent
potential temperature (theta-e). Areas of intense lift and frontogenesis are
commonly associated with TROWALs; hence they are favored regions for heavy
and/or prolonged precipitation. During a winter storm, the heaviest snowfall
amounts frequently occur along and north of the TROWAL axis.

9. Differentiate between a warm occlusion from a cold occlusion, and provide pictures
of each.

➢ Cold-type occluded fronts ("cold occlusion"): the air behind the front is colder than
the air in front of it.
➢ Warm-type occluded fronts ("warm occlusion"): the air behind the front is warmer
than the air in front of it.

10. What is an upper-air front?

➢ A zone of strong quasihorizontal temperature gradient and high static stability in
the middle and upper troposphere which does not necessarily extend to the
surface. Not called “cold” or “warm” since the isentropes are typically aligned along
the flow.
11. Provide pictures of the following:
1. Front

2. Squall

3. Air mass
4. Arctic outbreak