The front is associated with the air masses. As we know that air masses are large parts of the air in which the horizontal difference in humidity and temperature is very small. When two different air masses meet, they do not mix easily. At the boundary area, frontogenesis takes place between two different air masses, and fronts are formed at the border.
In the middle latitudes between 23 and 66 degrees latitudes in both the hemispheres, fronts are formed on the boundary zone of two different air masses.
The fronts bring about a sudden change in temperature and as the air rises, clouds form and cause rainfall.
There are four types of fronts and the weather associated with each front is different. Following are the descriptions of the different types of fronts and the weather associated with them:
- Cold front
- Warm front
- Stationary front
- Occluded front
Cold Front:
When cold and heavy air masses push up and move warm air masses, this contact area is called cold fronts.
The following are the weather associated with the cold front:
- During the advance of cold air mass:
- In areas with warm air masses, there is a rapid decrease in temperature in a very short time.
- As the warmer air mass rises, cirrus clouds form at higher altitudes, and nimbostratus and cumulonimbus clouds form at lower altitudes, and thunderstorms occur in areas with warmer air masses.
- Tornadoes occur in the warm region of the United States.
Warm Front:
When the warm air mass moves aggressively over the cold air mass, the area in contact with it is called the warm front.
The following are the weather associated with the warm front:
- With the formation of the cold front, there was a rapid decrease in temperature in the cold front, but in the warm front there is a slight increase in temperature and the rise in temperature is slow.
- Clouds form over large areas over cold air masses and there is moderate rainfall.
Stationary front:
When two air masses meet and neither one rises up nor does the air masses push each other, this type of contact area is called a stationary front.
The following are the weathers associated with Stationary fronts:
- The warm air moves parallel to the stationary front.
- Cumulonimbus clouds form over the stationary front and cause heavy rainfall and flooding in the area.
Occluded front:
When the cold air mass completely lifts the warm air mass, then this type of contact area is called an occluded front.
The following weather is associated with the occluded front:
- When the winds of the cold air masses move and push the rotating low pressure and lift warm air masses then a mid-latitude cyclone or a temperate cyclone or extra cyclone is develop in the occupying front.
- It rains for several days with the strong wind in the occluded front.
- Occluded fronts often originate in Western Europe.
- Give an account of different types of fronts and the weather associated with them. ( 25 Marks, 66th BPSC geography Optional Paper)
- Discuss how frontogenesis contributes to weather instability. (UPSC 2016, 150 words, 10 marks)
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