Anticyclone

• Name for a system of high pressure.

– Small pressure gradient – light winds

• Classed as COLD or WARM

• Can be Permanent or Semi-permanent.
 Formation of Anticyclone
• Cold Anticyclone • Warm anticyclone
Air mass is cooled by Larger than normal
the land – the cold air amounts of warm air
has a greater density over an area
than warm air (subsidence in the
= high pressure horse latitudes)
Subsidence
 Air Masses
• Air masses are large bodies of air which
have the same characteristics throughout.

• The air must remain over an area for

several days.

• The ideal conditions will be found where

there is a permanent anticyclone.
 Description of air masses
• Air masses are either warm or cold
– Source region
– Polar or tropical.
• Air masses either form at sea or land
– Sea – Maritime
– Land - Continental
 Qu. What is an air mass?
• An air mass is a large body of air with
similar temperature and/or humidity.

• Qu. Where do air masses form.

They form in stable “source regions” such
as the sub tropics or near the poles.
 Source regions of Air Masses
• Permanent • Air mass (name)
anticyclone
• Azores • Tropical Maritime
• Sahara • Tropical Continental
• Greenland • Polar Maritime
• Siberia • Polar Continental
• Arctic • Arctic
 Air Mass Characteristics
Tropical Maritime (Tm) Mild & moist

Tropical Continental Warm & dry

(Tc)
Polar Maritime (Pm) Cool & moist

Polar Continental (Pc) Cold & dry

Arctic Maritime Cold & Moist

 Tropical maritime (Tm)
• Source region –
Azores (Caribbean)
• Cooled by the sea –
Stable
• Little or no moisture
lost
• Coasts – sea fog
• Weather – south west
–dull, warm o’cast.
Tropical
Continental
 Tropical continental (Tc)
• Source region Sahara
(North Africa)
• Cooled from below –
Stable (Un?)
• “Dry” air mass
• Heat wave in Summer
• Usually good vis
(haze? Pollution)
 Polar Maritime (Pm)
• Most common
• Source region –
Greenland
• Warmed by the sea –
unstable
• Showers on West
coast
Polar
Continental
 Polar Continental (Pc)
• Source region – Siberia
• Reaches UK with NE or E
winds.
• High pressure North of
UK
• Mainly wintertime
• May pick up moisture
(track?)
• Perhaps clouds
• Vis varies
Arctic
Maritime
 Arctic (A)
• Source region – Arctic
Basin
• Winter/spring
• Sea passage aka Am
• Showers of snow and
hail
– Scotland
– Windward coasts
N.Sea.
– Cold!
 Returning Polar Maritime
• Source region –
Greenland but travels
south before turning
North towards the UK
• Cold air mass which is
warmed heading south
and cooled heading north
– leads to a wide variety
of weather
– Stratus cloud – hill fog or
– Cb clouds and showers
 Problems w / air masses?
a) No universal agreement on air mass
classification
• Major differences from continent to continent
b) Concept developed wrt surface data
alone
c) Conditions rarely uniform in source
regions
d) Pptn – related more to dynamics of the
atmosphere (stability, convergence…)
 Characteristics of air masses
reaching the UK
Air Source Temp. RH Sky Air
Condition
Mass
Tm

Tc

Pm

Pc

A
 Characteristics of air masses
reaching the UK
Air Source Temp. RH Sky Air
Condition
Mass
Tm Azores

Tc Sahara

Pm Greenland

Pc Siberia

A Arctic
Ocean
 Characteristics of air masses
reaching the UK
Air Source Temp. RH Sky Air
Condition
Mass
Tm Azores High

Tc Sahara Very
High
Pm Greenland Low /
High
Pc Siberia Very
Low
A Arctic Very
Ocean Low
 Characteristics of air masses
reaching the UK
Air Source Temp. RH Sky Air
Condition
Mass
Tm Azores High High

Tc Sahara Very Low

High
Pm Greenland Low / Medium
High
Pc Siberia Very Low
Low
A Arctic Very Low –
Ocean Low Medium
 Characteristics of air masses
reaching the UK
Air Source Temp. RH Sky Air
Condition
Mass
Tm Azores High High Covered
with St
Tc Sahara Very Low Clear
High
Pm Greenland Low / Medium Cu
High
Pc Siberia Very Low St?
Low (turb)
A Arctic Very Low – Cu
Ocean Low Medium
 Characteristics of air masses
reaching the UK
Air Source Temp. RH Sky Air
Condition
Mass
Tm Azores High High Covered Stable
with St
Tc Sahara Very Low Clear Stable
High
Pm Greenland Low / Medium Cu Unstable
High
Pc Siberia Very Low St? Stable
Low (turb)
A Arctic Very Low – Cu Unstable
Ocean Low Medium