GEOG 2110L Lecture : AIR MASSES & FRONTS.docx

• School: University of Georgia
• Department: Geography
• Course: GEOG 2110L
• Professor: David Stanley

Document Summary

Air mass: an immense body of air, some 1600+ km across and 1-3 km thick, with relatively homogeneous physical properties (density, t & moisture) at a given altitude. Classification scheme: 2-letter abbreviations are used to indicate. Source region, characteristics, & types of air masses. * second letter: reference to latitude or source region of origin & thus t (cold vs warm) A == arctic; bitterly cold p == polar; very cold t == tropical; warm e == equatorial; very warm. Source regions: area in which air mass originates. ** source region determines initial characteristics of the air mass; cold vs. warm (warm- unstable; cold- stable) dry vs. humid. * continental arctic (ca): arctic basin & greenland; bitterly cold & dry; stable. * continental polar (cp): interior canada & alaska; cold & dry; stable. * continental tropical (ct): northern interior mexico & sw u. s. (summer only); hot & dry; usually unstable.