Air Masses and Fronts：气团和锋面.pptVIP

An air mass is a large body of air that has similar temperature and moisture properties Once air masses move from where they form, their temperature and moisture content change. For example, as a polar air mass moves southward, it encounters warmer land masses and is heated by the ground below. Most air masses collide in the middle of the U.S., producing some violent weather. Maritime tropical air masses (mT) form over the warm waters of the tropics and Gulf of Mexico. The northward movement of these air masses brings warm moist air into the United States ?????????????????????????????????????????? Maritime tropical Air Mass (mT) Those who live in the northern United States expect cold weather during the winter months. These conditions usually result from the invasion of cold arctic air masses that form from the snow covered regions of northern Canada. ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Cold air masses move southward and encounter warm air masses. When these air masses collide, various types of weather will result. The type of precipitation that might result from this collision depends on the air temperature. ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Notice the edge of the cold air mass is shown by the blue line. The center of this air mass is a high pressure center located in northern Montana (indicated by the blue H). ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? The leading edge of a tropical air mass surging northward is shown by red line. Southerly winds behind the boundary indicate the northward movement of warm moist air. ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????? A front is defined as the area between two air masses with different properties. Fronts extend not only in the horizontal direction, but in the vertical as well. ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? A cold front is defined as the area where a cold air mass i