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    07 - Fronts and Masses

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    An air mass is a large body of air with uniform temperature and moisture characteristics. When different air masses meet, boundaries called fronts are formed which usually bring changes in weather. A warm front occurs when warm air overrides cold air, forming gentle slopes of clouds. A cold front has a steeper slope as cold air rapidly forces warm air upwards, often creating heavy precipitation. An occluded front results when warm air is trapped between two cold masses, bringing severe weather.

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    07 - Fronts and Masses

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    api-292000448
    426 views3 pages
    An air mass is a large body of air with uniform temperature and moisture characteristics. When different air masses meet, boundaries called fronts are formed which usually bring changes in weather. A warm front occurs when warm air overrides cold air, forming gentle slopes of clouds. A cold front has a steeper slope as cold air rapidly forces warm air upwards, often creating heavy precipitation. An occluded front results when warm air is trapped between two cold masses, bringing severe weather.

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    An air mass is a large body of air with uniform temperature and moisture characteristics. When different air masses meet, boundaries called fronts are formed which usually bring changes in weather. A warm front occurs when warm air overrides cold air, forming gentle slopes of clouds. A cold front has a steeper slope as cold air rapidly forces warm air upwards, often creating heavy precipitation. An occluded front results when warm air is trapped between two cold masses, bringing severe weather.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    426 views3 pages

    07 - Fronts and Masses

    Uploaded by

    api-292000448
    An air mass is a large body of air with uniform temperature and moisture characteristics. When different air masses meet, boundaries called fronts are formed which usually bring changes in weather. A warm front occurs when warm air overrides cold air, forming gentle slopes of clouds. A cold front has a steeper slope as cold air rapidly forces warm air upwards, often creating heavy precipitation. An occluded front results when warm air is trapped between two cold masses, bringing severe weather.

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    The key takeaways are that different air masses interact at boundaries called fronts, resulting in changes in weather. Warm fronts are gentler slopes bringing rain over days, while cold fronts have steeper slopes and heavier brief precipitation. Occluded fronts occur when a warm air mass is trapped between two cold masses.

    Warm fronts have gentler slopes and bring rain over several days as the warm air overrides the cold air mass. Cold fronts have steeper slopes and the cold air mass advances more rapidly, forcing the warm air upward and producing heavy brief precipitation as the front passes.

    An occluded front results when a warm air mass becomes trapped between two cold air masses. The warm air mass may rise or descend depending on the temperature of the trailing cold air mass, and occluded fronts are usually accompanied by severe weather conditions.

    Earth Science 11 Atmosphere Name:____________________

    Fronts and Masses


    Air Masses
    An ________ _____________ is a body of air that has its own temperature, humidity, and pressure. At
    any given time, there can be several different air masses over North America that can result in
    different weather in different regions.

    These air masses _________ ____________ and interact with each other as they move. The boundary
    between two different air masses is called a __________, and an approaching front usually means a
    ___________ in weather.

    Fronts
    When contrasting air masses make contact, an abrupt zone or boundary is formed. This boundary is
    called a front and usually is accompanied by rather abrupt changes in temperature, humidity, and air
    pressure. These fronts are precise enough that they can be plotted on a map and their movements
    observed with great accuracy.

    Warm Front:
    When a mass of warm air moves into a region of cold air, the warm air overrides the cold air mass,
    forcing the cold air to retreat. This situation is called a warm front. The relatively lighter warm air
    mass forms a gentle slope over the denser cold air mass and moves forward at about 15 miles per
    hour. Warm fronts may be preceded by several days of high altitude cirrus clouds. The frontal surface
    has a gentle slope, rising only about one half mile vertically for each 100 miles of horizontal distance.
    Along the front, the warm, moist air rises, is cooled and forms an extensive system of stratus clouds.
    At the lower level the rain producing nimbostratus clouds are prevalent. Higher in altitude are the
    altocumulus and altostratus. The ice crystal cirrus clouds are found at heights of 20,000 to 40,000 feet.
    Warm fronts are characterized by several days of rain.

    Cold Front:
    A cold air mass moving into a warm air mass produces a frontal surface which is more vertical than that
    of a warm front. This situation produces a cold front. The slope may have a one mile rise vertically for
    an 80-100 mile horizontal distance. Cold air masses advance rapidly (up to 30 miles per hour) and
    force the warm air mass upward where it becomes cooled. The movement of the air mass may be
    rapid enough to produce large, towering cumulonimbus clouds. The precipitation associated with a
    cold front usually exists in a narrow band, is heavy, but is brief in duration. When the frontal system
    passes, the weather usually clears rapidly.

    Stationary Fronts:
    Stationary fronts exhibit little or no movement. The weather conditions are similar to those which
    accompany a warm front. Some light precipitation may fall.

    Occluded Front:
    When a warm air mass becomes trapped between two masses of cold air an occluded front results.
    The trough of warm air above the two cold air masses may rise or descend, depending on the
    temperature of the trailing air mass. Occluded fronts are usually accompanied by severe weather
    conditions.
    Follow-Up Questions:

    1. How does a warm front differ from a cold front?

    2. Describe the weather conditions that accompany an occluded front.

    3. What is the relationship between air masses and fronts?

    4. Label the types of air masses (cold/warm) and the types of clouds formed in each of the
    diagrams below.

    Warm
    Front

    Cold
    Front

    1. Look at the weather map of BC below.


    a. What is the weather like in Nelson based on this map?

    b. What kinds of clouds will you expect to see in Victoria?

    c. What is the weather like in Williams Lake?

    d. What type of front is approaching Prince George?

    e. What type of clouds and weather would you expect in


    Prince George?

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