air masses (peso de aire) and weather (tiempo). weather influences our lives every day. it helps us...
Post on 22-Dec-2015
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Air Masses (Peso de Aire) and Weather (Tiempo)
Weather influences our lives every day. It helps us
determine:
• What we wear• Whether our airplane is delayed• Whether or not we go to school• What time to start football practice
Because of the weather’s influence, we need to know what the weather is going to be ahead
of time
Meteorology (meteorologia) – the study of the atmosphere and the factors that affect it
Changes in our weather are caused by the interaction of
air masses
An air mass (peso de aire) is a large body of air that has the same
temperature and humidity (humedad) throughout
Temperature and humidity depend on where the air mass originates
When an air mass enters an area, the area takes on the
characteristics of the air mass
When it gets hot and muggy in Topeka, it is because of an air mass from the Gulf of
Mexico
Types of Air Masses
Air masses are named according to where they were formed
The temperature of each air mass depends on where it was
formed
• Arctic (ártico) – forms above the Arctic Circle (A)
• Polar – forms over Alaska and Northern Canada (P)
• Tropical – forms close to the equator (T)
The humidity of an air mass depends on whether it formed
over land or water
• Continental – forms over land, dry (c)
• Maritime (marìtimo) – forms over an ocean, moist (m)
Continental Arctic (cA)
Characterized as very cold and very dry. These air masses produce cold weather, in winter but don’t occur in summer because the sun heats the poles
Continental polar (cP)
Warmer than cA air masses, but still cold and dry. These air masses can produce precipitation if they
pass over a large body of water
Continental Tropical (cT)
Characterized as hot and dry. These air masses produce heat waves in the summer
Maritime Polar (mP)
Characterized as cold and damp. These air masses produce heavy snows in winter and cool
temperatures in summer
Maritime Tropical (mT)
Characterized as warm and damp. These air masses produce thunderstorms