What is an air front?
A front is a weather system that is the boundary separating two different types of air. One type of air is usually denser than the other, with different temperatures and different levels of humidity. This clashing of air types causes weather: rain, snow, cold days, hot days, and windy days.
What happens at an air front?
A weather front is a transition zone between two different air masses at the Earth’s surface. Each air mass has unique temperature and humidity characteristics. Often there is turbulence at a front, which is the borderline where two different air masses come together. The turbulence can cause clouds and storms.
What are 4 air fronts?
Meteorologists identify air masses according to where they form over the Earth. There are four categories for air masses: arctic, tropical, polar and equatorial. Arctic air masses form in the Arctic region and are very cold.
How an air front is formed?
Such a front is formed when a cold air mass replaces a warm air mass by advancing into it, and lifting it up, or when the pressure gradient is such that the warm air mass retreats and cold air mass advances.
Where is Continental Polar?
Continental polar (cP) or continental arctic (cA) air masses are cold, dry, and stable. These air masses originate over northern Canada and Alaska as a result of radiational cooling. They move southward, east of Rockies into the Plains, then eastward.
Why does air rise and fall?
Hot air rises because gases expand as they heat up. When air heats up and expands, its density also decreases. The warmer, less dense air effectively floats on top of the colder, denser air below it.
What are the 5 types of air masses?
Five air masses affect the United States during the course of a typical year: continental polar, continental arctic, continental tropical, maritime polar, and maritime tropical.
What happens if a cold front meets a warm front?
If a cold front approaches a warm front, the cold, dense air will push the lighter, warm air up into the atmosphere where it will condense and form clouds.
What air mass is cT?
continental Tropical
The continental Tropical (cT) air mass originates in arid or desert regions in the middle or lower latitudes, principally during the summer season. It is strongly heated in general, but its moisture content is so low that the intense dry convection normally fails to reach the condensation level.
What is a a front?
A front is a weather system that is the boundary separating two different types of air. One type of air is usually denser than the other, with different temperatures and different levels of humidity.
What is a front on a surface weather map?
On a surface weather map, only the intersection of the frontal surface with the earth is indicated. The contrast between the air masses is strongest near the earth’s surface, and decreases upward in the atmosphere. Fronts are classified by the way they move relative to the air masses involved. At a cold front, cold air is replacing warm air.
What is the contrast between air masses in a front?
The contrast between the air masses is strongest near the earth’s surface, and decreases upward in the atmosphere. Fronts are classified by the way they move relative to the air masses involved. At a cold front, cold air is replacing warm air.
What is the difference between a stationary front and cold front?
Sharp temperature changes over a relatively short distance A stationary front is characterized by no movement of the transition zone between two air masses. A cold front is c old air displacing warm air. Steep leading edge — friction slows surface advance, moves quickly–25 knts up to 40 knts faster=steeper