Where an air mass receives it’s characteristics of temperature and humidity is called the source region. Air masses are slowly pushed along by high-level winds, when an air mass moves over a new region, it shares its temperature and humidity with that region. So the temperature and humidity of a particular location depends partly on the characteristics of the air mass that sits over it. Storms arise if the air mass and the region it moves over have different characteristics. For example, when a colder air mass moves over warmer ground, the bottom layer of air is heated.
- That air rises, forming clouds, rain, and sometimes thunderstorms.
- When a warmer air mass travels over colder ground, the bottom layer of air cools and, because of its high density, is trapped near the ground.
- In general, cold air masses tend to flow toward the equator and warm air masses tend to flow toward the poles.
- This brings heat to cold areas and cools down areas that are warm.
- It is one of the many processes that act towards balancing out the planet’s temperatures.
- Air masses are slowly pushed along by high-level winds.
- When an air mass moves over a new region, it shares its temperature and humidity with that region.
- So the temperature and humidity of a particular location depends partly on the characteristics of the air mass that sits over it.
Read Also: Conditions for Formation of Air Masses
