Learning about Air Masses

What are Air Masses?

Air masses are large bodies of air that cover vast regions and have similar temperature and humidity throughout. They form when air stays over a region with specific conditions like a hot desert or a cold ocean, for a long time, allowing it to take on the characteristics of that area.

Air masses move with the wind and can significantly influence weather by transporting heat, moisture, or pollutants from one area to another. For example:

• A tropical air mass is warm and moist.
• A polar air mass is cold and dry.

When two different air masses meet, they form fronts, which are boundaries that often bring changes in the weather, such as storms or rain.

Understanding air masses is crucial for forecasting events like Saharan dust transport, which can affect air quality, human health, and visibility across regions like Cyprus and southern Europe.

How does CAMS products help us?

The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS NCP) tracks the movement of air masses and predicts air quality across Europe. Based on CAMS products, we can know in advance when dust, pollutants, or other atmospheric changes may impact our region.

Fun Fact

Dust from the Sahara can travel thousands of kilometers and reach Europe or even America! This happens when a warm air mass lifts and carries the dust particles with the help of wind currents.