cnenciarini asked this question on 4/12/2000:
i have a few questions, they on a work sheet.i don't know anything. i have to Describe the type of air mass most likey to occur off the coast of the Northwestern united states.
what type of font would form if this air mass collided with a continental polar air mass?
describe the type of air mass most likely to occur off the southeastern coast of the united states.
what two types of air masses are most likely to collide with the continental polar air mass and affect weather conditions in the northeastern united states?
what type of front is likely to form during a collision between each of these air masses and a continental polar air mass?
Sorry for all of the questions but they are hard and i don't under stand them
tcsmpsi gave this response on 4/12/2000:
Well, I would be glad to answer those for you , but I do not know of such things I'm afraid. You have posted your question, or it has somehow found it's way to the Violence and Abuse category. Not quite the same. :-) Thank you tcsmpsi
cnenciarini asked this follow-up question on
4/12/2000: hey, thanks but really i don't know how i got thier either but could you forward it to somebody that could help me and sned me the answers and help please it would be nice. thanks anyways
tcsmpsi gave this response on 4/12/2000:
Ok....I will find out what I can for you. Be letting you know as soon as I do. tcsmpsi
tcsmpsi gave this follow-up answer on 4/13/2000:
understand them, let me start with a review ...
What's an air mass? a large body of air whose phyical properties (especially temperature and mositure distribution) are nearly the same.
Air masses are described by the area they originated (there are 4 basic categories) - Did the air mass begin over the Tropics? Tropical air mass Did the air mass begin over the Arctic or Anarctic? Artic air mass Did the air mass begin over the polar regions (between 40 and 60 degrees latitude)? Polar air mass Did the air mass begin over the Equator? Equatorial air mass
An easy way to remember the 4 categories - T A P E - T(ropical) A(rctic) P(olar) E(quatorial)
Now, did the air mass begin over water? then it's a maritime air mass Did the air mass begin over land? Then it's a continental air mass
Virtually all Equatorial air masses are considered to be maritime (originated over water); Airctic air masses are most frequently continental since most of that area is either land or icefields - maritime Arctic airmasses are rare.
Now, what kind of weather does each bring? mP - maritime Polar - cool & moist cP - continental Polar - cold & dry, stable, fair weather cT - continental Tropical - hot & dry mT - maritime Tropical - hot & moist
A very good, and easy to understand, web site of air masses is at:
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/tg/wamsorce/wamsorce.htm
Question 1 - type of air mass most likey to occur off the coast of the NW U.S. - It's over water ... so it much be maritime, it's source region is polar - so this air mass is a mP (maritime Polar)
Next, you ask about fronts - remember, a front is nothing more than a boundary (or dividing line) between two different air masses. Cold air is more dense, and "shoves" other air masses out of the way (that's as simple of an explaination as I can come up with). When cold air moves in, it's a cold front - when cold air moves out, it's a warm front.
Question 2 - type of front would form if this air mass collided with a continental polar air mass? The cP air mass is cold and dry, the mP is cool and moist - so the cold air (cP) would be moving out, replaced by cool moist mP air - that's a warm front
Question 3 - type of air mass most likely off the southeastern coast of the United States? It's over water ... so it's maritime; it's source region is the tropics - so it must be mT (maritime Tropical)
Question 4 - what two types of air masses are most likely to collide with the continental polar air mass and affect weather conditions in the northeastern united states? The area east of the northeast U.S. is water (the Atlantic Ocean), so the air masses are going to have to be maritime. Sorce regions are from the southeast (from the tropics) and from the east and northeast (polar) - so the two types are mP (maritime Polar) amd mT (maritime Tropical)
Question 5 - what type of front is likely to form during a collision between each of these air masses and a continental polar air mass?
The cP air mass is cold - so between the cP and mT (warm, moist air mass) you'd have a cold front. There has to be a boundary between the mT (warm air mass) and mP (cool air mass), the cool air is moving away, so the boundary would be a warm front.
Sorry for the long answer - but I hope that you have a little better understanding of air masses and fronts.
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