air masses
Large atmospheric bodies
Air masses are large bodies of air with relatively uniform temperature and humidity throughout.
They form over land or ocean regions and move across the globe, bringing weather changes when they collide: A cold air mass from Canada pushed south, dropping temperatures overnight.
Meteorologists classify them by source region—polar, tropical, continental, maritime.
- warm frontAdvancing temperate air mass
- cold frontsAdvancing masses of frigid air
- anticyclonesHigh-pressure weather systems
- low pressure systemAtmospheric zone of reduced density
- meteorologyStudy of atmospheric phenomena
humidity · dew point · continental · polar vortex · arctic blast · convergence · temperature · weather forecasting · trade winds · heat waves · warm spell · pressure · pressure gradient · Coriolis effect · barometric · weather · wind · convection
- meteorologyweather, rain, wind, snow, clouds
- wind systemstrade winds, westerlies, jet stream, easterlies, wind patterns
- weatherweather, rain, sun, snow, wind
- temperate zonestemperate zones, temperate zone, midlatitudes, mild weather, moderate temperatures
- Aviation Weathervisibility, ceiling, cloud ceiling, ceiling height, turbulence
air massesmicroclimates
Localized atmospheric conditions
eddies · gusts · sea breezes · land breezes · thermals
air massesland masses
Areas of solid ground
solid ground · bedrock · ocean currents · sea water · earth
air massesfronts
Deceptive outward appearances
weather fronts · storm systems · cyclones · jet streams · squall lines
air, atmosphere, masses, aerial, aerated, aerate, aeronautics, aerospace, aerator