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ASSIGNMENT TITLE Explain the air masses affecting Zimbabwe

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Issue Date: 3 October 2013 Revision

INTRODUCTION TO WEATHER AND CLIMATE

HGES 107

ASSIGNMENT 1

INTRODUCTION

To give a comprehensive of air masses that affect Zimbabwe and their origin. There are a total

of six air masses.

MEANING OF TERMS

Air mass an air mass is a large body of air, whose properties, temperature, humidity (air

moisture) and lapse rate are largely uniform (the same) over an area several kilometers across.

Source region where air masses are formed

MAIN DISCUSSION

There are a total of six air masses that affect the British Isles, they are classified according to the

way they originate, as follows

 Tropical Continental. This air mass originate over North Africa and Sahara (as worm

source region).

 The tropical maritime.

 Polar continental.

 Polar maritime

 Arctic maritime

 Returning polar maritime

The four air masses

 Continental polar-cold and dry air forms on land .Canada/Washington

 Continental tropical hot and dry air forms on land.

 Maritime tropical forms over water, hot moist air.

 Maritime polar forms over water, cold moisture air.

 Maritime- ocean (moist/humid air)

 Continental-land dry air.

 Polar-cold.

 Tropical-warm/hot

.An air mass is a large body of air, whose properties, temperature, humidity (air moisture) and

lapse rate are largely uniform (the same) over an area several kilometers across. The regions

where air masses form are referred to as air mass source regions. An air mass acquires its

distinctive characteristics is a source region where there is a large and fairly uniform surface,

either water or land, over which air remains fairy stagnant for a period of at least of few days. If

air remains over a source region long enough, it will acquire the properties of the surface below

it.

Examples of ideal sources region for air masses include Siberia, Ocfans, like the Indian Ocean

large deserts like Sahara. The air stagnates to form a high pressure system (region).Air masses

are classified according to their temperature and moisture characteristics. The properties of an

air mass that it acquires from the source region depend on a number of factors for example the
time of the year (summer, Winter, autumn) the nature of the underlying surface (Ocean, land

or desert) and the length of time, the air mass remains over its source region.

Air masses are grouped into four categories based on their source region. Air masses are

grouped into four categories based on their source region. Air masses that originate in the cold,

polar regions are designated thin the capital P for polar. Air masses that originate in the warm,

tropical regions are designated with capital T, for taper, Air masses that originate over land will

be very dry and designated with lowercase c for continental.

Air mass that originate over water will be moist and are designated with a lowercase m for

maritime. These letters are combined to indicate the type of air masses will be modified by the

surface over which they pass and thus their later properties will depend not only on their

source region but also on the nature of the surface they pass over and their age since beings

formed. The southern pole is completely surrounded by the Antarctic and therefore the two

(pole and Antarctic) are treated as one region.

Zimbabwe is an African country at coordinate’s 19.0167 degrees south latitude, 30.0167 degrees

east longitude. This puts Zimbabwe in the Southern Hemisphere, well within the tropics (from

23.5 degrees south to 23.5 degrees north latitude). According to the three cell model of global

circulation discussed in lecture, Zimbabwe lies within the Hadley cell of atmospheric circulation

(from 0-30 degrees north or south latitude). The Hadley cell consists of rising warm air at the

equator cooling and moving towards 30 degrees N or S latitude where the air sinks and moves

back towards the equator.

The pressure gradient force is towards the equator from the location of the sinking air at 30

degrees S. In the southern hemisphere, the Coriolis Effect curves wind to the left, and friction in

the opposite direction of the PGR curves the wind back towards the PGF. This explains the

direction of the trade winds, which is the wind belt that Zimbabwe resides in. Though the trades

blow east to west, the prevailing wind direction in Zimbabwe is hardly defined due to the

location of Madagascar off the coast of Eastern Africa and how drastically it influences wind

direction.

Zimbabwe is located in the ITCZ, or Intertropical Convergence Zone, which is a main low

pressure system that varies in latitude depending on the time of year. January is when Zimbabwe

lies within the ITCZ, and is subsequently right in the middle of Zimbabwe's rainy season.

Because Zimbabwe is within the ITCZ in January, it is also within the doldrums during this time.

Doldrums are where the northern and southern trade winds meet at the equator and creates an

area of highly variable weather.

Zimbabwe's climate is directly affected by global wind patterns and pressure systems relevant to

its location. Zimbabwe's location at 19 degrees S puts it in the Hadley cell, which means wind is

generally moving from east to west. This means that future weather can be predicted by looking

at what type of pressure systems are developing over the Indian Ocean being that the wind is

most likely going to blow this weather westward. Also Zimbabwe is very characteristic of

tropical countries in that it has a distinct wet and dry seasons.

This is due to the ITCZ shifting throughout the year and in January is when Zimbabwe lies

within the ITCZ. In past years when the ITCZ wasn't very well defined, Zimbabwe experienced

drought-like climate, and in past years when the ITCZ was very well defined, Zimbabwe
receives average to higher than average rainfall. The rainy season occurs when the ITCZ

approaches and reaches Zimbabwe, and the rest of the year receives essentially zero rainfall. This

makes it easy to predict the weather of Zimbabwe during any time of the year.

Zimbabwe has many mountains, from the Bvumba Mountains to the Eastern Highlands. The 5

types of breezes associated with mountains is the Chinook Winds, Santa Ana Winds, Katabatic

Winds, Valley breezes and mountain breezes. Most of Zimbabwe's higher-elevation terrain is

located on the eastern side of the country, though it has a minor effect of the wind direction

because of the location of Madagascar, and how Madagascar actually is the main contributor to

the unique winds in Zimbabwe.

Because the trade winds blow from east to west and Madagascar lies east of Zimbabwe, the

trade winds' path is blocked and deviated around the island, resulting in a northwestern

prevailing wind direction. Madagascar also acts as a barrier to severe weather systems heading

directly towards Mainland Africa, weakening and deviating its path which lowers the instances

of weather related disasters. Because Zimbabwe is landlocked, it is not directly affected by

coastline breezes, such as land and sea breezes. The closest body of water is the Mozambique

Channel, almost 500 miles away.

Two major air masses reach Zimbabwe i.e. polar maritime and tropical maritime. The tropical

continental air masses is resident to Zimbabwe.

An anticyclone has a centre of high pressure near the centre .It has oval or circular shaped

isobars .An anticyclone develops in a region where the air is descending. The winds associated

with an anticyclone blow outwards in a clockwise direction in the southern hemisphere and an
anticlockwise direction in the southern hemisphere. The direction of the winds is caused by the

rotation of the earth.

The development of depression.

 Cold air moves in a general westerly direction. The frictional effects of the two air flows

cause a wave to develop in the front.

 The wave bulges into the colder air and gets larger .Pressure falls at the tip of the wave

and an anticlockwise circulation of wind blows around this low pressure point,(in the

northern hemisphere )and the circulation is clockwise in the southern hemisphere .

 As the bulge develops the warm air rises up over the colder air at the front of the bulge .at

the rear of the bulge the colder air forces its way under the warm air. The rear is called

the cold front.

Types of air masses

Africa is affected almost exclusively by tropical and equatorial air masses, with tropical

continental (cT) air masses dominant in the northern third of the continent and in the smaller

patches, tropical maritime (mT) and equatorial € air masses most influential in coastal and

equatorial Africa.

Tropical continental

 Originate over North Africa and the Sahara desert.

 Characteristically hot and very dry.

 Very unstable, yet clear conditions predominate due to a lack of water vapor

Tropical maritime
  From over low latitude oceans and as such are very warm, humid, and unstable,

 The tropical maritime air mass that reaches Zimbabwe is the NE trades originating from

the northern hemisphere sub-tropical anticyclone usually centered over central Indian

Ocean (over the equator).

Polar maritime

 The SE trades originating from southern hemisphere subtropical anticyclone cells and

whose fetch begins from Antarctic, constitute the polar maritime air mass.The south East

trade winds are a winter feature in Zimbabwe,

 They are cooler and moisture than the resident tropical air during winter.

 When they prevail over the country during the summer season, they still remain cooler

but are drier than the local air.

Air masses affecting Zimbabwe

South East Trade Winds

 Are cool moist prevailing winds which blow throughout the year.

 They are usually associated with continuous light showers and drizzle especially on the

windward slopes.

 They often give rise to GUTI conditions immediately after the rain season.

 When they blow strongly from the South East trades which upon approaching Angola get

drawn into Zimbabwe via DRC by the intense low pressure of ITCZ.

 They bring lot rain to Zimbabwe and Central Africa as they collect moisture from both

the Atlantic Ocean and the Congo rain forest.

North East Monsoons

 Only blow in the summer and cause rains to fall in the northern parts of Zimbabwe

especially in late December and early January.

 They are not as moist as the North West Monsoons.

CONCLUSION

the of air masses from an integral of this discussion , the air masses were defined, identified

,classified, and their associated weather conditions as observed .The idea of warm cold fronts

and anticyclone and the types of air masses mainly the one which affect Zimbabwe. In the

discussion was mainly focusing on the cyclones and how they are formed and four types of air

masses affecting this country

REFFERENCES

Barry R.G &Chorley R.J (1980) Atmosphere, Weather and climate Methuen

Buckle, C (1996) Weather and climate in Africa Longman.

Ministry of Educatio, (1990) Senior Atlass for Zimbabwe, Longman Zimbabwe.