Air Masses and Fronts
What is an air mass?
A very large volume of air that has a certain temperature and moisture content.
What does the H stand for on weather maps?
High pressure
Where are surface currents found at?
Found at or near the surface.
What are deep currents?
Movements of ocean water far below the surface.
What do air masses cause?
Changes in weather
What does the L stand for on weather maps?
Low pressure
What is a surface current?
Horizontal, streamlike movements of water that are found at or near the surface of the ocean.
What controls deep currents?
Water density
What do scientists classify air masses by?
Water content and temperature of the air.
What is a warm front?
Leading edge has warm, less dense air, with not as much energy.
What are the factors that affect surface currents?
Global winds, the Coriolis effect, and continental deflections.
What controls the density of deep currents?
Salinity and temperature
What is the area that air masses form over?
Source region
What is a cold front?
Leading edge has cold, dense air with lots of energy.
How deep can surface currents be?
Up to several hundred meters deep.
What are some deep current examples?
Antarctic Bottom Water and North Atlantic Deep Water.
What are the two different kinds of air masses?
Warm air masses and cold air masses.
What is a stationary front?
Boundary between a weak cold and weak warm fronts; one does not overpower the other. Stays in place until stronger air moves in and pushes it out.
What is one of the largest surface currents in the world?
The Gulf Stream
How do deep currents form?
When the density of ocean water increases and it sinks toward the bottom of the ocean.