What type of air masses form over land

For example, if an air mass forms over a tropical ocean, it is called maritime tropical. If an air mass forms over land in the far north it is called continental polar. An air mass can change as it moves into different environments. For example, if a continental polar air mass moves into warmer areas and over the ocean the air will warm and moisture may evaporate from the ocean surface into the air, adding humidity.

Cold and warm air masses usually come together in middle latitudes areas such as the United States, where they form weather fronts and can produce massive storms. Skip to main content. Weather Basics. Source: Unknown. Five basic types of air masses affect Michigan's weather.

They can bring anything from scorching heat to bone-chilling cold depending on the type of air mass. The five are. Continental Arctic cA : Extremely cold temperatures and very little moisture. These usually originate north of the Arctic Circle, where days of 24 hour darkness allow the air to cool to sometimes record-breaking low temperatures.

Such air masses often plunge southward across Canada and the USA during winter, but very rarely form during the summer because the sun warms the Arctic. Continental polar cP : Cold and dry, but not as cold as Arctic air masses. These usually form farther to the south and often dominate the weather picture across the USA during winter. Continental polar masses do form during the summer, but usually influence only the northern USA.

These air masses are the ones responsible for bringing clear and pleasant weather during the summer to the North.

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Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives. Weather is the state of the atmosphere, including temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, and cloud cover. It differs from climate, which is all weather conditions for a particular location averaged over about 30 years.

Weather is influenced by latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography. It impacts the way people dress each day and the types of structures built. Explore weather and its impacts with this curated collection of classroom resources. An atmosphere is the layers of gases surrounding a planet or other celestial body. These gases are found in layers troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere defined by unique features such as temperature and pressure.

The atmosphere protects life on earth by shielding it from incoming ultraviolet UV radiation, keeping the planet warm through insulation, and preventing extremes between day and night temperatures. The sun heats layers of the atmosphere causing it to convect driving air movement and weather patterns around the world. Teach your students about the Earth's atmosphere with the resources in this collection. Encyclopedic entry. Air is the invisible mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth.

Air contains important substances, such as oxygen and nitrogen, that most species need to survive. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. A lowercase letter describes the amount of moisture in the air mass: m for maritime moist and c for continental dry.