Continental tropical air mass
Also called: cT · Topic: Air Masses, Fronts, Cyclones and Thunderstorms · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 9 "Atmospheric Circulation and Weather Systems"
Meaning
A continental tropical (cT) air mass is hot and dry. It forms over subtropical hot deserts, such as the Sahara, Arabia and the Thar. The strong sun heats the bare land, and the desert offers almost no water to evaporate, so the air above becomes very hot and dry. Where cT air spreads, it brings heat waves and very little rain.
Example
In May and June, hot, dry cT air from the Thar Desert in Rajasthan blows across north India. It brings the scorching afternoon wind called the loo.
Don't confuse with
- Maritime tropical (mT) air mass: mT air is also warm, but it forms over warm oceans. So it is moist and brings heavy rain, not dry heat.
Related concepts
- Air mass
- Source region
- Maritime tropical air mass
- Maritime polar air mass
- Continental polar air mass
- Continental arctic air mass