Air Masses & Fronts
What is an air mass?
What is... a large body of air
The H on a weather map means what?
What is... happy, sunny weather
Surface currents are found where?
What is... near the surface
Where are deep currents found?
What is... deep beneath's the ocean's surface
What does a capital P stand for (related to air masses)?
What is... polar (a cold air mass)
The L on a weather map means what?
What is... lousy, stormy weather
What are 3 factors that control surface currents?
What is... global winds, Coriolis effect, continental deflections
What are 2 factors that control deep currents?
What is... water density (salinity) and temperature
What happens when a warm air mass and a cold air mass meet?
What is... the warm air mass rises
How is a cold front drawn on a weather map?
What is... spiked triangles on a line (represents where the front is)
What is continental deflection?
What is... currents are steered away from the land, or deflected to a different path
What is salinity?
What is... the amount of salt in a liquid
What type of air mass is sourced from the Gulf of Mexico?
What is... maritime tropical (mT)
What does a line with red semicircles symbolize on a weather map?
What is... a warm front
What is the Coriolis effect?
What is... the Earth spinning on its x-axis, curving the path of surface currents
What makes a deep current different from a surface current?
What is... deep currents are controlled by water density instead of winds
What is an occluded front?
What is... when a warm air mass is caught in between two cold air masses
How is a Stationary Front drawn on a weather map?
What is... a warm front and cold front combined
Where does the Gulf Stream travel (point A to point B)?
What is... Florida to Iceland (Gulf of Mexico to Europe)
How does temperature affect deep currents?
What is... the volume of water decreases with temperature, making the water denser