variation of its properties,esp Temp. • Formed over water or land in tropical or polar regions • The prevailing westerlies generally push air masses from west to east. Air masses (cont.)
• Tropical air masses- warm air
masses with low air pressure • Polar air masses- cold air masses with high air pressure Air masses (cont.)
• Whether an air mass is humid or
dry depends on whether it forms over water or land • Water - humid • Land – dry Air Masses (cont.) • 4 types: 1-Maritime tropical warm, humid air masses that form over oceans near the tropics 2-Maritime polar cold, humid air masses that form over icy cold North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans Air masses (cont.) 3- Continental tropical hot, dry air masses that form only in summer over dry areas in Southwest and northern Mexico 4- Continental polar cold, dry air masses that form over central and northern Canada and Alaska FRONTS
• As air masses move and collide with
each other, fronts are formed at the well defined boundaries between the air masses Types of Fronts
1- Cold front A rapidly moving cold
air mass runs into a slowly moving warm air mass. The dense cold air slides under the lighter warm air. The warm air is pushed upward and causes a cold front. • Causes sudden changes in weather and severe storms Types of Fronts: (cont.) 2. Warm Fronts a moving warm air mass collides with a slowly moving cold air mass. The warm air moves over the cold air . » Clouds, fog and rain also accompany warm fronts, sometimes may bring storms. Types of Fronts: (cont.) 3. Stationary Front when warm and cold air masses meet, but neither is stronger than the other a “standoff” occurs known as a stationary front »May bring days of clouds and precipitation Types of Fronts: (cont.) 4. Occluded Front a warm air mass is caught between two cooler air masses. The denser cool air masses move underneath the less dense warm air mass and push upward. The two cool air masses meet in the middle and may mix. »Weather may turn cloudy and rainy or snowy PRESSURE SYSTEMS
• High/Low Pressure Systems are
created by warm air rising and cool air sinking combined with the spinning of Earth that causes rotation of air masses PRESSURE SYSTEMS (cont.) • 2 Types –HIGH usually signals fair weather with winds that circulate around the system in a clockwise direction –LOW counterclockwise circulating winds that often result in rainy and/or stormy weather conditions STORMS! • Occur when pressure differences cause rapid air movement • Thunderstorms • Tornado • Hurricane Thunderstorms • A storm with thunder, lightning, heavy rains and strong winds • Usually forms along a cold front but can form within an air mass • Forms within large cumulonimbus clouds Tornado
• Rapidly whirling, funnel shaped cloud that
reaches down from a storm cloud • Area of low pressure • Strong winds • Likely to form within the frontal regions where strong thunderstorms are also present Hurricane • Low pressure tropical storm that forms over water • “eye” of the storm Winds that are spinning in a circular pattern around the center of the storm • Lower the air pressure at the center, the faster the winds blow toward the center of the storm Weather Instruments: Thermometer- measures temperature Hygrometer/Psychrometer- measure relative humidity Barometer- Measures air pressure Rain Gauge- measures amount of precipitation Anemometer- measures wind speed Wind vane- direction of wind ISOBARIC PATTERNS • CYCLONE (LOW) - area of LP surrounded by areas of HP - isobars form closed shapes - winds blow spirally inwards,anticlockwise in NH and clockwise in SH - pressure gradient is usually high ,so …..? - area of converge of air. On reaching center air moves up as strong upward current,forming Cu and CuN clouds of high vertical extent. - over center,thin downward stream of air and a patch of blue sky may be seen - sign of bad weather ( strong winds,clouds, rain,etc) Secondary cyclone(Low) • Cyclonic Pattern – Terminology
- Low or Depression - wind spd < 33 kts
- Cy. Storm - wind speed 34 – 47 kts - Severe Cy. Storm - wind speed > 48 kts ISOBARIC PATTERNS • ANTICYCLONE (HIGH) - area of HP surrounded by areas of LP - isobars form closed shapes - winds blow spirally outwards,clockwise in NH (opposite in SH) - pressure gradient is usually low ,so …..? - area of divergence of air at sea level.This outflow of air is balanced by a downward current of air at the center.This column of air warms up adiabatically as it descends and becomes drier. - total absence of clouds or precipitation over anticyclone - due warm air, quick evaporation and sea temp relatively lower, may cause mist or fog at outer fringes of the anticylone - sign of good weather ( light winds,no clouds,no rain,good vis, etc)
Warm and Cold anticyclone
ISOBARIC PATTERNS • COL - area between two highs and two lows - light variable winds,sudden changes likely - RH fairly high,lighting may be seen - may also occur between primary and secondary low patterns - may also occur at boundary between two air masses(weather/temp changes – drastic) - No definite weather pattern associated (fog in autumn,thunderstorms in summer,etc) ISOBARIC PATTERNS • Ridge or Wedge - area of HP jutting into ares of LP - isobars are curved,with HP inside. Generally, don’t form closed shapes - may also occur between primary and secondary low - weather similar to anitcyclone – no pptn, lt. winds,no clouds,etc. If between ‘lows’ good weather for very short periods ISOBARIC PATTERNS • Trough - - area of LP jutting into areas of HP - isobars are curved, with LP inside. But they don’t form closed shapes - winds blow from HP to LP areas, deflecting to right in NH (left in SH) by Coriolis force - pressure gradient is fairly high,so….? - bad weather will be seen, pressure falls before trough and rises after, with weather deteriorating and improving accordingly. TROUGH • Two types : Non Frontal and Frontal . • Non Frontal - isobars curve gently(gradual change in dirn) - winds veers gradually in NH, backs in SH - “U” of trough always points towards Equator • Frontal - exists at boundary between two air masses - “V” of isobars always points towards Equator TROUGH • Weather – Frontal Trough - as isobars change dirn suddenly (by 90 deg); - squalls with lighting and precipitation - as one air mass is replaced by another, a sudden change of temperature also seen Frontal Depressions • Frontogenesis : The formation of a frontal depression is called Frontogenesis. • Formation of a FD: - Warm air mass must be travelling faster than the colder mass or they both should be moving in the opposite directions - It starts with a small bulge of warm air in the cold air - The bulge increases in size and the isobars bend accordingly . See diagram - As density of warm air is less compared to cold,the bulge is an area of LP ,surrounded on the 3 sides by areas of HP . - See diagram - The bend shapes up as closed isobars,winds moving spirally inwards, anticlockwise in NH - Isobars inside the bulge are straight & run roughly parallel to the original boundary between the two air masses. - On crossing, the isobars change dirn almost 90 deg, winds veering suddenly by 90 deg( in NH) - The entire system will move in the same dirn & speed as that of the warm air mass. - In SH the bulge will face southwards, winds blowing spirally clockwise - As prevailing winds in these latitude are Westerlies, FD’s move from west to east in both hemispheres Frontolysis ( Decay) The decay or weakening and final dissipation of a Frontal depression - The first step is the formation of “ Occulsions” (ref diagrams) - Cold air before and after the ‘warm sector’ of the FD (due to weakening), undercuts the warm air and lifts it above sea level. - The warm air mass slowly dissipates as it rises. - The life of a FD is about a few days