Air Masses
What are temperature and moisture?
The two characteristics of air masses.
What are fronts?
Form when two different large air masses meet and usually bring changes in the weather.
What is a cold front?
Marked on weather maps as a blue line with triangles on it.
What is a high pressure center?
The capital letter H stands for this on a weather map.
What is a meteorologist?
The name given to a scientist that studies weather.
What is a continental air mass?
An air mass that is dry and forms over land.
What is a cold front?
A type of front made of cold, dense air. Rain, snow, thurnderstorms and sometimes tornadoes are caused by this front. Usually, the precipitation does not last very long.
What is a warm front?
Marked on a weather map as a red line with half circles on it.
What is a low pressure center?
A capital letter L stands for this on a weather map.
What are weather balloons?
Carries weather instruments as far up as the stratosphere.
What is a polar air mass?
An air mass that forms over the polar regions and is cold.
What is a stationary front?
The front that forms when two air masses meet and neither one takes over. Often causes many cloudy days to occur in a row.
What is a stationary front?
Marked on a weather map as a blue line with blue triangles on one side and red half circles on the other side.
What is clear skies?
What is clear skies?
Represented by a small circle that is completely white (not colored in).
What is a short-range weather forecast?
The type of weather forecast that is within the next 5 days.
What is a tropical air mass?
An air mass that forms over the tropics and is warm.
What is a warm front?
The type of front formed when a large mass of warm air takes over the cooler air mass. Usually produce rain, fog, or snow that lis light but steady.
What are isobars?
Lines that connect areas with the same air pressure on a map.
What is snow?
Often represented by asterisks or stars on a weather map.
What is the exosphere?
The layer of the atmosphere where weather satellites are located.
What is a maritime air mass?
An air mass that is wet and forms over water.
What is an occluded front?
The type of front that develops when two cool air masses merge, forcing the warm air to rise and become trapped. Usually brings wind and preciptiation.
What is an occluded front?
Marked on the weather map as a purple line with half circles and triangles on the same side.
What are isotherms?
Lines that connect areas with equal temperature on a weather map.
What is the butterfly effect?
States that a small change or disturbance, such as a butterfly flapping its wings, may play a part in the weather outcomes in the future.