Source Regions of Air Masses

(Review)
• Worlds stable high pressure regions.
– Classified chiefly on the basis of two primary factors:
• Temperature
» Polar
» Arctic
» Tropical
• Surface of origin:
» Maritime
» Continental
 Cold Air-masses
• Polar Maritime
– Between Greenland and N. Canada
• Arctic Maritime
– From above the Arctic Circle
• Polar Continental
– From the Siberian High over central Asia.
 Warm Air-masses

• Tropical Maritime
– From the Azores High in the mid Atlantic Ocean.
• Tropical Continental
– from the North African sub-tropical high pressure
belt.
 Air Mass Properties

• Characteristic properties are:

– Uniform mean temperature
– Moisture content
– ELR
– Stability
– Weather
– Visibility
 Air Masses
A body of air with more-or-less Input of heat and moisture to
uniform physical properties over atmosphere is non-uniform. Creation
horizontal distances of hundreds of of a uniform air mass achieved via:
kilometres – Mixing
• Temperature – Radiative processes
• Moisture content – Time (3 – 7 days)
• lapse rate Source regions: areas of extensive
uniform surface conditions situated
Properties and degree of uniformity below quasi-stationary high pressure
depend on: systems.
• Source of the air
In low latitudes there are few strong
• History – air mass temperature gradients; air masses
modification distinguished by moisture content –
• Age of air mass more difficult to interpret.

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 Air Mass Modification Processes
Thermodynamic
• Surface heating/cooling
– Change of temperature of
surface, or advection over
different surface
• Addition of moisture
– Surface evaporation
– Evaporation of precipitation
falling from higher level
• Loss of moisture
– Condensation, precipitation
• Radiative heating/cooling
– slow compared to surface heat
exchange (up to 2 weeks)
Dynamic
• Turbulent mixing
– Increases uniformity of air
mass. Very efficient close to
surface.
• Large-scale lifting/descent
– Causes adiabatic changes of
temperature
– May result in formation or
evaporation of clouds

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 Air Mass Characterization
Air masses are classified according to Also:
how they compare to the properties
of the underlying surface and of • Arctic (A)
adjacent air masses. – very cold
4 (sometimes 5) basic classifications – Frequently indistinguishable
– combine source region and surface from polar air masses in lower
type: levels
• Maritime/marine (m) – Originates over polar icecaps
rather than high latitude land
– high moisture content
masses.
• Continental (c)
– typically low moisture
• Tropical (T) Some classification schemes include
indication of whether air is warmer
– warm (w) or cooler (k) than underlying
• Polar (P) surface after air mass modification
– cold has taken place; e.g. cPk, mPw.

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 Air Mass
Characteristics

• Tropical air cooled from

below

• Polar air heated from

below
 Tc Air Mass Properties
Winter Summer (only)

Temperature Very warm

Humidity Relatively dry.

Change of lapse Little change

rate
Stability Generally stable

Weather Little cloud/Fair Wx

Cu/ Poss CB if sea
track.
Visibility Mod to poor. Thick
haze.
 Pc (Short Sea Track) Air Mass
Properties
Winter(Only) Summer

Temperature Very cold

Humidity Vry
Verydry
dry
Change of lapse Little change
rate
Stability Stable

Weather Clear with frost/fog

or St
Visibility Poor
Pc(Long Sea Track)Air Mass Properties
Winter (only) Summer

Temperature Cold

Humidity Moist in lower

layers
Change of lapse Heated from below
rate
Stability Unstable

Weather Rain or SNSH, thick

SC, embd Cu.
Visibility Good but poor in
SNSH.
 Tm Air Mass Properties
Winter Summer

Temperature Near sea Warm

temperature
Humidity Very moist Very moist

Change of lapse Cooled from below Cooled from below

rate
Stability Stable Stable aloft

Weather Low St and DZ Broken Sc/DZRA on

penetrates well coasts
inland
Visibility Mod to Mod to poor/sea
poor/Advection fog/cloud covering
fog/Cloud covering hiils
hills
 Pm Air Mass Properties
Winter Summer

Temperature Rather cold Cool

Humidity Moist Moist

Change of lapse Heated from below Heated from below

rate
Stability Unstable Unstable

Weather Cu/CB, showers Cu/CB, showers

mainly on W coast penetrating well
inland.
Visibility Good Good
 Am Air Mass Properties

Winter (only) Summer

Temperature Colder than Pm.

Humidity Fairly moist after

sea track.
Change of lapse Heated from below.
rate
Stability Very unstable.

Weather Heavy snow SNSH

from freq. CB.
Visibility Very good outside
showers.
 Cold Front

• Ditandai dengan segitiga dan berwarna biru,

arah gerkan ke udara panas
• Berkaitan dengan awan cumulus dan
cumulonimbus, menghasilkan hujan shower dan
thunderstorm.
 Warm Front

• Ditandai dengan setengah lingkaran dan

berwarna merah, dengan arah kecondongan k
arah dingin

• Umumnya hujan, awan stratus, mendung, kabut

dan salju
 Stationary Front

• Ditandai dengan selang seling simbul fornt

dingin dan panas dengan arah atas dan bawah
• Bersifat temporari.
 Occluded Front

• Ditandai dengan warna biru dengan simbul

front panas dan dingin yg bersamaan
• Temprary, sulit ditebak.
KARAKTERISTIK FRONT DINGIN

Weather Before frontal Region of front After frontal

Feature passage passage

Winds SE to SW gusty W to NW

Temperature warm sudden decrease steady cooling

Dew point high steady decreases

steadily
Pressure falling steadily minimum; rapid rise steady rise

Visibility fair to poor poor then improving good

Clouds Ci, Cs, Cb Cb Cu

Precip showers heavy precip clearing

KARAKTERISTIK FRONT PANAS

Weather Before frontal Region of front After frontal

Feature passage passage
Winds NE to E variable S to SE

Temperature cool, slowly steady rise warmer

warming
Dew point steady rise steady increases, then
steady
Pressure usually falling levels off slight rise,
followed by fall
Visibility poor improving fair

Clouds Ci, Cs, As, Ns, St, stratus Clearing with

fog scattered Sc
Precip light to moderate, drizzle or nothing usually none
can be SN or RA