Chapter 29

Air Masses and Fronts

Air Masses•A huge section of the lower troposphere that has the same kind of weather throughout

Types of air masses•mT

–Maritime Tropical

Warm Moist Air usually over tropical waters

•mP –Maritime Polar

Cold Humid air coming from over cold ocean waters

•cT –Continental Tropical

Hot dry Air originating over desert areas

•cP –Continental Polar

Cold dry air coming from high latitudes

•cA –Continental Arctic

Extremely Cold dry air coming from high latitudes

Fronts•Any Boundary between two different air masses

•Generally means a change in weather

•Four Types

Cold Front

Warm Front

Stationary Front

Occluded Front

Where are the Fronts?

L

Where are the Fronts?

L H

L