Air Masses and Fronts
by: Taylor Young
Air Masses
An air masses is a big body of air that has similar properties. Air mass move within time, they stay in one place for about 1-2 weeks. They help they help tell future temperature and Air pressure of the area it is moving into. There are four types of air masses; maritime polar(M.P), maritime tropical(M.T), continental tropical (C.T),
continental polar(C.P). When two air masses meet it usually causes bad weather such as tornados of a thunderstorm.
Fronts
Fronts are boundaries between two air masses. Fronts can't just be on the surface of the earth, they have a vertical structure or slope too. Warm fronts typically have a gentle slope so the air rising along the frontal surface is gradual.
Warm fronts-
Warm fronts form where warm air masses move into cold air masses. The warm air pushes the cold air over to the side and above the warm air.
Cold fronts-
Cold fronts move faster than warm fronts most of the time. As the two fronts merge an occluded front forms. In the occluded front, the cold air goes under the warm air.