Over the northern Atlantic and the northern Pacific oceans.
The maritime polar air mass forms over the cold waters of the polar regions. It acquires its characteristics, including cool and humid air, as it moves over the oceans.
A maritime polar air mass is a mass of air, very much like that of continental polar air, that has passed over warm water (such as an ocean) thus rendering it unstable.
The source region of a maritime polar air mass is typically a cold, moist maritime region near the poles, such as the North Atlantic or North Pacific Ocean. As the air mass moves away from this region, it can bring cool, damp weather conditions to areas it affects.
A maritime polar air mass is characterized as a cold and moist air mass.
Maritime tropical: Warm and moist air mass that forms over tropical oceans. Continental tropical: Hot and dry air mass that forms over desert regions. Maritime polar: Cool and moist air mass that forms over ocean areas in higher latitudes. Continental polar: Cold and dry air mass that forms over polar regions. Arctic: Extremely cold and dry air mass that originates in the Arctic region.
Air masses take on characteristics from their source regions, which are large areas of uniform temperature and humidity. The type of air mass can be classified based on its source region's latitude and surface, such as continental (dry, from land) or maritime (moist, from oceans), and polar (cold) or tropical (warm). For example, a maritime tropical air mass originates over warm ocean waters and is characterized by warm, moist air, while a continental polar air mass forms over cold land areas, bringing cool, dry air.
A maritime polar air mass is characterized as a cold and moist air mass.
Arctic air mass is not typically found in the US as it originates from the polar regions and doesn't extend as far south as the contiguous United States.
maritime polar, maritime tropical, continental polar, and continental tropical
The four general air mass classifications are maritime tropical (mT), continental tropical (cT), maritime polar (mP), and continental polar (cP). Maritime tropical air masses are warm and humid, originating over oceans in tropical regions. Continental tropical air masses are hot and dry, forming over land in warm regions. Maritime polar air masses are cool and moist, while continental polar air masses are cold and dry, both originating in higher latitudes.
The first letter of an air mass classification indicates its source region and temperature characteristics: "m" for maritime (moist) and "c" for continental (dry). The second letter denotes the latitude of the source region, with "T" for tropical (warm), "P" for polar (cold), and "A" for Arctic (very cold). For example, "mT" represents a warm, moist air mass from tropical regions, while "cP" indicates a cold, dry air mass from polar regions.
An air mass is a large body of air that exhibits relatively uniform temperature and humidity characteristics, which are influenced by its source region. The source region is typically a vast area with consistent weather patterns, such as deserts, oceans, or polar regions, where the air mass acquires its properties. For example, a maritime tropical air mass from a warm ocean will be humid and warm, while a continental polar air mass from a cold land area will be cold and dry. The characteristics of an air mass, including temperature, humidity, and stability, directly reflect the conditions of its source region.