Question 1

Is it possible for a stationary front to produce precipitation? If so,would you expect to find the precipitation on the warm or the cold air side of the front?

Accepted Answer

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Question 2

A stationary front does not move because the winds blow parallel to the front.

Accepted Answer

A stationary front is a boundary between two air masses where the winds on both sides of the front blow parallel to the front, thus causing it to remain in the same place.

Question 3

During the spring,a mP air mass would most likely bring record-breaking high temperatures to the eastern half of the United States.

Accepted Answer

It is unlikely for an mP (maritime polar) air mass to bring record-breaking high temperatures, as it is characterized by cool and moist air. The eastern half of the United States would more likely experience cooler temperatures and possibly precipitation.

Question 4

List the four basic types of air masses.Give an example of where each type could originate and describe how each air mass could affect local weather conditions if it moved into your region.

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Question 5

When a warm and cold air mass collide,why is the warm air is forced upward?

Accepted Answer

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Question 6

Clear sunny days with very cold nights would be associated with a cP air mass.

Accepted Answer

The cP or continental polar air mass is a cold, dry air mass that forms over land in high-latitude regions. It typically brings clear skies and cold temperatures, which can result in very cold nights.

Question 7

Explain how,using no meteorological instruments other than your eyes,you could identify the passage of an occluded front.

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Question 8

A dryline is a stalled cold front.

Accepted Answer

A dryline is a boundary that separates dry air from moist air, usually in the central and southern plains of the United States. It is not a stalled cold front, but rather a boundary between two air masses with different moisture content.

Question 9

Describe some of the changes in weather conditions (winds,temperature,clouds,precipitation,pressure changes)that you would expect to observe as a cold front approaches and passes through your location.

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Question 10

The origin of cP and cA air masses that enter the United States is northern Siberia.

Accepted Answer

The origin of cP (continental polar) air masses is northern Canada, while the origin of cA (continental arctic) air masses is northern Alaska and the Arctic. None originate in Siberia.

Question 11

When cP air moves into western Washington,western Oregon,and California fro the east,the air mass is warmer at the surface than it was originally because the air sinks,is compressed,and warms.

Accepted Answer

As cP air moves into the western US from the east, it descends from higher elevations to lower elevations, causing compression. The compression of the air increases its temperature, making it warmer at the surface than it was originally. This is why cP air masses are associated with clear and dry weather conditions in the western US.

Question 12

What type of clouds,if any,would you expect to see form when a cP air mass moves across warm water? Would conditions be any different when mT air moves across a cold land surface? What types of clouds would form in this latter case?

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Question 13

Explain why the observation of a halo around the moon or sun could forewarn of the arrival of a warm front.

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Question 14

During the winter,an air mass that moves into coastal sections of Oregon and Washington from the northwest would most likely be maritime Polar.

Accepted Answer

Maritime Polar air masses are characterized by lower temperatures and higher humidity due to their origin over cold ocean waters. The northwest region of Oregon and Washington is located by the Pacific Ocean, making it plausible for a maritime Polar air mass to move into the area during winter.

Question 15

Draw side views of a typical warm and cold front.Indicate the temperatures of the separate air masses and show their directions of motion.What types of clouds would you expect to find and where? Where would you expect precipitation to occur?

Accepted Answer

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Question 16

Compared to an mP air mass,mT air is colder and drier.

Accepted Answer

mP air masses are maritime polar air masses, which form over cold ocean waters and bring cool, moist air. On the other hand, mT air masses are maritime tropical air masses, which form over warm ocean waters and bring warm, humid air. Therefore, mT air is warmer and more humid, not colder and drier, compared to mP air.

Question 17

Fronts are associated with high pressure.

Accepted Answer

Fronts are associated with low pressure, not high pressure.

Question 18

How would a warm front,a cold front,and a center of low pressure appear on a surface weather map in the Southern Hemisphere?

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Question 19

Without considering changes in temperature,how are the weather conditions accompanying a cold frontal passage different from those associated with the passage of a warm front?

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Question 20

The rising of warm air up and over cold air is called overrunning.

Accepted Answer

Overrunning occurs when warm air moves over cooler air, leading to the lifting of the warm air and potential precipitation.

Quiz 9: Air Masses and Fronts