Britannica : Encyclopedia article about air mass
An air mass is a large volume of air in the atmosphere that is mostly uniform in temperature and moisture. Air masses can extend thousands of kilometers in any direction, and can reach from ground level to the stratosphere—16 kilometers (10 miles) into the atmosphere.
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Air Masses: A large volume of air in the atmosphere that is mostly uniform in temperature and moisture is referred to as air mass. The Earth’s atmosphere contains large air masses with similar temperature and moisture. These air masses affect weather and climate in different areas. Meteorologists study them to predict the weather accurately.
Air masses can move thousands of kilometers and can reach up to 16 kilometers high. The idea of air masses was developed by Bjerkens and Bjerknes during World War I and was formalized in the 1930s for short-term weather forecasts (24-36 hours). Understanding air masses helps explain weather, especially in higher and mid-latitudes. The troposphere, the layer of air around the Earth, is not uniform, it is made up of distinct air parcels called air masses.
Air masses can be defined as a large body of air, usually, 1600kms or more, characterized by homogenous physical properties like temperature, and moisture content at a given height.
Air masses come from specific regions where they gain temperature and moisture. These regions can be over land or water and are affected by factors like latitude and wind. There are two main types of air masses:
Maritime air masses: These form over oceans or lakes and are humid because of evaporation. When they move inland, they lose moisture as rain.
Continental air masses: These form over land and reflect the land’s characteristics. For example, polar continental air masses are cold in winter, while tropical continental air masses are hot and dry.
Properties of the air masses are derived from the Earth''s surface called a source region. Air masses tend to retain their identity even after moving away from their source regions. Such original identity is retained only in the upper part of air masses while the lower surface is modified due to the heat transfer by the process of convection. Air masses develop only in the regions having:
Thus, high barometric pressure is ideal for the development of air masses.
Source regions are broadly divided into continental (c) and maritime (m) source regions. Source regions of air mass are either continental interiors in temperate latitudes or large-maritime regions in higher latitudes. Six major source regions are identified.
If the air mass moving over a region causes stability or dry conditions then it is known as stable air mass (s). If it promotes precipitation then it is known as unstable air mass (u).
Temperature and humidity characteristics are used to classify air masses. The air masses are broadly divided into polar and tropical air masses. Both the polar and the continental air masses can either have maritime or continental source regions. The following types of air masses are recognized:
Tropical air masses are warm, while polar air masses are cold.
Summer: Less stable with the lesser prevalence of anticyclonic winds, warmer landmasses, and lesser snow.Maritime Polar Air Masses (mP)oceans between 40° and 60° latitudes with cool, moist, and unstable conditions.These continental polar air masses have moved over the warmer oceans, got heated up, and collected moisture.Winter: high humidity, overcast skies, and occasional fog and precipitation.
The modification of air mass that results from the thermodynamic action of heating and cooling as the air mass travels from one source region to another source region is called a thermodynamic modification. Thermodynamic modification depends upon
The modification is also known as a dynamic modification. Mechanical modification of air mass involves vertical uplift or downward subsidence due to mountain/orographic barriers, cyclonic conditions, anti-cyclonic conditions, turbulence and eddies.
Based on the Above Modifications Two Types of Air Masses Arise
The temperature of the air mass is colder than the surface temperature it visits. Example: Arctic Ocean, Siberia, Northern Canada.
The temperature of the air mass is warmer than the surface temperature it visits. Examples: Sahara Desert, Tropical Oceans.
Air masses shape global climate and weather patterns by moving and interacting with each other. Their characteristics affect temperature, precipitation, and atmospheric stability in different areas.
For example, when a warm, moist maritime air mass meets a cold continental air mass, it can create a front, leading to clouds, rainfall, and temperature changes, which helps in predicting weather events.
Cloud forms are distinct from air masses. As a result, meteorology studies them separately. These masses span thousands of miles across the Earth’s surface and typically have the same temperature and moisture levels. The cold and drier continental polar air mass from Siberia in the winters brings cold conditions while moving over Central Asia and heading towards South Asia. While moving over relatively warmer regions of Central, air mass becomes unstable. In contrast, when the continental polar air mass from Siberia moves over a relatively colder surface i.e. the Arctic region, the air mass covers into an air mass which is warmer and more stable.
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