What are polar air masses? What are its characteristics and effects on the weather?

Weather of Arabia - We sometimes hear through weather bullets that there are rushes of polar air masses towards the region, which causes drastic upheavals in the atmosphere and temperatures, so what are the polar air masses? What are the effects of weather associated with it?

Before defining polar air masses, we will briefly identify air masses, what they are and how they are formed until we reach the concept of polar air masses.

What are air masses?

An air mass is defined as a very large amount of air that is similar in properties and characteristics in terms of temperature and humidity at each horizontal level.

How are air masses formed?

Air masses are formed when air remains over a certain area of land or sea, and its stay for a sufficient period leads to it acquiring the natural characteristics of this area, in terms of temperature and humidity, so this area is called the source of air mass.

In general, the air masses are formed over the areas affected by atmospheric heights, where the atmosphere is more stable, and thus the air mass becomes homogeneous and with certain characteristics.

What are polar air masses?

After we know how air masses are formed, we must know that the classification of air masses depends on the atmospheric and natural characteristics of the area of their formation, so air masses are classified according to the geographical location and latitude at which they were formed, as well as on the nature of the surface of the area over which they were formed if it was land or water.

Polar air masses are those that form between latitudes 45°-75° north or south over the areas on which semi-permanent air heights are concentrated throughout the seasons of the year, such as the Siberian air high. The high temperature of the polar air mass that forms at the far north and far south poles.

What are the types of polar air masses?

Polar air masses may form on land, so it becomes dry, or over water, and carry more water vapor. Therefore, there are two types of polar air masses:

1. Polar Continental Air Mass: It is symbolized by the symbol (cP), and it is characterized by being cold and low humidity (dry) and it is usually stable, and when it affects the Levant region, it often leads to the formation of frost.
2. Polar Maritime Air Mass: It is symbolized by (mP), and it is cold and humid due to its emergence over the oceans near the poles.

It is known that the polar air masses carry less water vapor than the tropical air masses, and the reason is that warm air is more capable of carrying water vapor than cold air, so that the continental tropical mass carries more water vapor than the marine polar mass, so the natural conditions if It helped in the fall of rain, the rain of the tropical masses is more abundant than the rain of the polar masses .

Read also: What are the types of air masses? And what are its characteristics?

The properties of the polar air mass change according to its path

Air masses are exposed to some changes in their properties based on the nature of the path they follow after their formation, such as passing over a region that is warmer or colder than it or over an area that is more or less humid than it, and changes in the natural properties of the air mass begin in the lower layers of it first, then extend The rate of change in the air mass or its speed depends on the extent of the difference between the basic properties of the air mass and the properties of the surface over which it passes.

The polar air masses succeed in reaching the eastern Mediterranean during the winter season and acquire some characteristics according to the areas they cross before they reach us. Syrian or Iraqi, it acquires dry characteristics and its impact is limited to severe cold weather, and the occurrence of waves of frost and freezing.