GPHY 102 Lecture 9: GPHY102 Notes 9

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Geography
• Course: GPHY 102
• Professor: Ryan K Danby

Document Summary

Precipitation processes: processes which cause air to move upwards and then cool to the dew point. Air masses: large bodies of air with relatively uniform temperature and moisture characteristics, global scale air masses are named on basis of source region: Equatorial (e: and for origin over ocean. Properties of typical air masses: maritime equatorial. Air masses and fronts: air masses usually have well-defined boundaries referred to as fronts, fronts represent steep transitions in atmospheric conditions, fronts are names by the invading air mass. Eg when a cold air mass invades a warm air mass a cold front develops. Cold air replaces warm air at a location. Heavy precipitation of short duration: warm front. Warm air advances toward cold air and it rides over top of the cold air. Light precipitation of long duration along front. Stratus clouds usually develop unless the warm air is unstable. In this case, heavy precipitation may occur from thunderstorms.