atmospheric movement and weather maps

*

*When convection and winds cause air

masses to move, they bump into one

another.

*The area where two air masses meet is

called a front.

*Most severe weather occurs near frontal

boundaries.

*

*

*

*Cold, dense air is moving toward warm, less dense air.

*The warm air is pushed up to cool and form clouds as the

cooler air replaces it.

*The air on the front side of the boundary line is warmer

than the air on the back side of the boundary line.

*These fronts are usually fast moving and bring stormy

weather and heavy precipitation followed by clearing

skies and higher pressure.

*

*

*

*Warm air is moving toward cold air.

*The warm, less dense air slides over the cold, more dense air.

*The air on the front side of the boundary line is cooler than the air on the back side of the boundary line.

*These fronts usually move slowly and bring steady rain or snow over many days.

*

*Warm and cool air masses that are not strong

enough to move one another

*Sits still for a long period of time

*

*

*These fronts occur when neither the

cool nor warm air masses are strong

enough to replace each other.

*They tend to stay in an area for a long

period of time, often bringing long

periods of precipitation and clouds.

*

*Two cooler air masses meet and force a warm

air mass aloft.

*Brings cool temperatures and large amounts of

rain or snow.

*Followed by clear skies and drier air.

*

*

*This is when a warm air mass is caught between two cold air masses.

*The colder air mass moves under the warm air mass and pushes it up.

*The colder air mass then moves forward until it meets a cold air mass that is warmer and less dense.

*The colder air mass moves under this air mass and pushes it up.

*Brings clear skies and drier air.

*

*

*

http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science

/terc/content/visualizations/es1903/es1903pag

e01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization

*

*The heating and cooling of water and land

produces land breezes and sea breezes.

*High pressure moves toward low

pressure, pushing the warm air upward.

*As warm air rises, cooler air moves in and

replaces it.

*

*The Sun heats the water and land every day.

*Land heats up rapidly, but cools off rapidly.

*Desert

*Water heats up slowly, but cools off slowly.

*Swimming at night

*The heat retained by the oceans is what keeps our

planet insulated.

*

*

*Weather is the atmospheric condition at a certain time and place.

*Weather maps are used to show current weather conditions in an effort to predict future weather conditions.

*You need to know what each symbol means and how to interpret them to forecast the weather.

*

*Air pressure is measured with a barometer in

millibars.

*Millibars are represented by connected lines of equal

pressure. This is a lot like the topographic map lines.

*The closer together the lines are, the faster the wind

speed.

*The farther apart the lines are, the slower the wind

speed.

*

*

*Cooler, dense air close to the surface of

the Earth.

*Surrounded by winds flowing in a

clockwise direction.

*Usually brings dry conditions and fair

skies.

*

*

*Warmer, less dense air above the Earth’s

surface

*Surrounded by winds moving in a

counterclockwise direction.

*Associated with the formation of storms.

*

*

*