AIR MASS

• An air mass is a defined as a large body of air with very similar characteristics. Generally
speaking, air masses are defined by temperature and moisture parameters.
• Air airmass is a huge body of air, usually 1600 kilometers or more across and perhaps
several kms thick, which is characterized by homogeneous physical properties
(especially temperature and moisture content) at any altitude.

Different climatologists have defined airmass differently:

1) “A body of air in which the upward gradients of temperature and moisture are fairly
uniform over a large area is known as an air mass.” Strahler and Strahler
2) “An air mass is defined as a large bod of air whose physical properties(temp, moisture
content and lapse rate) are more or less uniform horizontally for hundreds of
kilometers.” Barry and Chorley
3) “An air mass is defined as an extensive portion of the atmosphere having
characteristics of temperature and moisture which are relatively homogeneous
horizontally.“ Critchfield
 Air Mass - Characteristics

• Weather Controlling Characteristic

• Since an air mass crosses an area in several days, the region occupied by it will generally
have the same weather conditions except some-day-today variations here and there. But
the weather conditions in an adjacent air mass are altogether different. Along the margins
of air masses, the weather changes are rather very sharp.
• Equilibrium Characteristics
• When an air mass remains in contact with a large and uniform surface for a couple of days,
its temperature and moisture content attain equilibrium with the surfaces. i.e. if the
underlying surface is warm, the overlying air will be warmed and the entire mass of air
lying above it will be warmed gradually. When the underlying surface is cool, the air mass
above it will be cooled gradually.
• Similarly, the moist, underlying surface will impart its moisture to the air above it, whereas
the overlying air will loose its moisture to the underlying dry surface.
• The time taken to reach as state of equilibrium may vary from 2/3 days to a week or two.
• Here the overlying mass of air is “Air mass” and the underlying surface is airmass “Source
region”.
 Air Mass - Characteristics

• Identity Characteristics
• Air masses retain their identity even after they have moved far from their source region.
• Also, air masses with different densities, when come to contact with each other, do not
merge into each other but retain their identity.

• Wind Relation Characteristics

• Air masses are an inseparable and important part of the planetary wind system. So every
air mass is related to any one of the permanent wind belt.
 Origin Of Air Mass
•The surface over which the air mass is formed is called the source region.

•Nature of the source region largely determines the temperature and humidity
characteristics of an air mass. When a large volume of relatively stationary air remains
in contact with a vast land or ocean surface it gradually acquires the characteristics of
the concerned surface.
For example vast ice cover in polar region will impart icy coldness to the air mass
lying over it. Again air mass in contact with warm ocean within the tropics, it will be
hot and humid.

Essential conditions for the development of an air mass:

 an extensive land or water surface with homogeneous conditions of temperature

and humidity.
 a large, relatively stationary volume of air over the surface with no convergent of
wind rather divergent.
There are 6 major source regions of air masses in the
world.
1. Polar oceanic areas (North Atlantic between Canada and North Europe,
North Pacific between Canada and Siberia in winter)
2. Polar continental areas ( Snow covered Eurasia, North America)
3. Tropical Oceanic areas (Anticyclonic areas)
4. Tropical continental areas (North Africa Sahara, Asia)
5. Equatorial areas (trade wind zone)
6. Monsoon lands of South East Asia
On the basis of Geographical location of air masses, they are divided into 2
categories.
Polar air mass – P
Tropical air mass- T
According to nature of source region i.e. land (continent) or water (ocean) each
of the above are divided into 2 categories.
Continental air mass- c
Maritime air mass – m
Based on thermodynamic and mechanical modifications, air mass are divided
into 2 categories.
Cold air mass- K
Warm air mass- W
Each of the above is further Sub divided into 2 classes.
Stable air mass- s
Unstable air mass- u
 Air Mass - Types

cP mP

cPK cPW mPK mPW

cPKs cPKu cPWs cPWu mPKs mPKu mPWs mPWu

cT mT

cTK cTW mTK mTW

cTKs cTKu cTWs cTWu mTKs mTKu mTWs mTWu

 Modification Of Air Mass
• Practically the ideal conditions (homogeneity and stagnant air) do not prevail for a much
longer period, as the general circulation of air pulls the air mass from the source region to
another region. Other factors may include uneven heating of the earth’s surface, irregularities
in relief etc. responsible for the modification od air mass.
• Modification of air mass depends on four factors:
• Initial characteristics of air mass in terms of temp and moisture content
• Nature of land and surface over which air passes
• Path followed by air mass from source to destination
• Time taken by the air mass
 MODIFICATION OF AIR MASS
• Thermodynamic
Modification of an air mass resulting from
the transfer of heat between the bottom of
an air mass and the surface over which it
moves is known as thermodynamic
modification.
These modification takes place in two
different ways:
a) when air mass is heated from below
b) when air mass is cooled from below
• Mechanical
In this type of modification, there is no
transfer of heat from the air mass to the
surface, rather it happens due to movement
of the air.it happens in cyclones,
anticyclones, surface friction or due to the
meeting of different air masses.
Air Mass Characteristics
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