The origin region of the Tropical Maritime air mass includes which area?

• A. Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea
• B. Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Guinea
• C. Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal
• D. Arctic Ocean, Labrador Sea

Answer: (B)

Tropical Maritime air mass forms over warm, tropical oceans where sea surface temperatures are high and humidity is abundant, so the air becomes warm and moist as it rises over the sea. The region that best fits this source is the tropical Atlantic, specifically the Gulf of Guinea along the west coast of Africa, where SSTs stay warm year round and convection is common. This makes the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Guinea a classic origin area for the Tropical Maritime air mass. The other options place the source in colder regions (like the Bering or Arctic Oceans) or mix in areas that aren’t the typical tropical Atlantic source, so they don’t fit as well with the origin conditions for mT air.