Ch. 6Lesson 3
What are air masses?
air mass•huge body of air that has almost same temp. & humidity (amount of water vapor in air)
air mass•cause most weather
air mass•forms over large areas of land or water
Type of air mass Where it forms
Cool air mass polar areas
Warm air mass tropical area
Greater humidity over water
Less humidity over land
What characteristics would an air mass that formed here
have?
What characteristics would an air mass that formed here have?
front• area where 2 air
masses meet
front• 2 types:
1. cold front- move faster
2. warm front- move slower
Cold air mass & a warm air mass meeting at a front.
Air Masses and Fronts: How Weather Moves From One Place to Another [03:24]
How clouds form:
1.Sun’s energy warms water
2.Heated water evaporates
3.Air rises & cools
4.Water vapor become tiny water droplets & ice crystals
3 main types of clouds
cumulus stratus cirrus
cumulus clouds
•fair weather
cumulus clouds
•look like fluffy, rounded piles of cotton
strstratatus cloudsus clouds• form in flatat layers close to
Earth’s surface
cirrus clouds• feathery clouds • form high in atmosphere
cirrus clouds Sometimes
called “mare’s tails”
Song: Clouds Are Cool [02:45]
•Cloud matching game
form only at high levels
cirrus clouds
Cumulus clouds
•look like fluffy, rounded piles of cotton
Cirrus clouds Sometimes called “mare’s tails”
strstratatus cloudsus clouds• form in flatat layers
cirrus clouds• feathery clouds • form high in atmosphere
cumulus clouds•fair weather