A qualitative term to describe a widespread body of air with approximately uniform characteristics which had been identified at a given time over a particular region of the earth's surface. Sometimes an air mass is marked by
inert tracers such as
SF6
which may be added to it.
The composition of a given air mass undergoes alteration as it migrates, chemical changes occur, compounds are removed by dry and wet deposition and new impurities are added to the mass.
Source:
PAC, 1990, 62, 2167
(Glossary of atmospheric chemistry terms (Recommendations 1990))
on page 2172
Cite as:
IUPAC. Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book"). Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A.Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1997). XML on-line corrected version: http://goldbook.iupac.org (2006-) created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8.
doi:10.1351/goldbook.
