air mass (redirected from Air masses)

air mass

n.

A large body of air with only small horizontal variations of temperature, pressure, and moisture.

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air mass

A widespread body of air that originates over a large area of land or ocean and assumes the temperature and humidity of that area, with characteristics distributed fairly evenly throughout the horizontal layers of the mass. Air that stands over the Caribbean Sea, for example, becomes a warm, humid maritime tropical air mass, while air that lies in the Arctic regions of northern Canada takes on the cold and dry characteristics of its surroundings and becomes a continental polar air mass. When air masses of differing properties come into contact in the middle latitudes, they frequently generate storm fronts.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

air mass - a large body of air with uniform characteristics horizontally atmospheric state, atmosphere - the weather or climate at some place; "the atmosphere was thick with fog" high - an air mass of higher than normal pressure; "the east coast benefits from a Bermuda high" low, depression - an air mass of lower pressure; often brings precipitation; "a low moved in over night bringing sleet and snow"