GPHY 102 Study Guide - Final Guide: Occluded Front, Warm Front, Cold Front

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Geography
• Course: GPHY 102
• Professor: Paul M Treitz

Document Summary

Large body of air with uniform temperature and moisture. When they move to new areas their characterisics change based on the new environment. Usually cold air masses in the north and dry warm winds in the south of north america. Boundaries are called fronts: steep transiions in atmospheric condiions. Cold air replaces warm air at a locaion. Warm air advances and replaces cold air. If air is unstable then thunderstorms may occur. When cold front overtakes a warm front. Warm air mass is forced of the ground (usually entails rain because it losses moisture as it rises) Warm occlusion: leading air mass is cooler than trailing. Recurring patern of atmospheric circulaion associated with a characterisic weather. Travelling cyclones and anicyclones bring change to the weather. Forms in the low pressure trough created by contact of 2 anicyclones at polar front. As cyclone develops cold air dominates and rain occurs (becomes occluded, which is why it spirals)