A
stationary front is a boundary between two different
air massIn meteorology, an air mass is a large volume of air defined by its temperature and water vapor content. Air masses cover many hundreds or thousands of square miles, and adopt the characteristics of the surface below them. They are classified according to latitude and their continental or...
es, neither of which is strong enough to replace the other. On a weather map, this is shown by an inter playing series of blue spikes pointing one direction, then red domes pointing the other.They tend to remain essentially in the same area for extended periods of time, and waves sometimes propagate along the frontal boundary. A wide variety of weather can be found along a stationary front, but usually
cloudA cloud is a visible mass of droplets or frozen crystals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of the Earth or another planetary body. A cloud is also a visible mass attracted by gravity, such as masses of material in space called interstellar clouds and nebulae...
s, prolonged
precipitationIn meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that is deposited on the Earth's surface. The main forms of precipitation include rain, snow, ice pellets, and graupel...
, and storm trains are found there.
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A
stationary front is a boundary between two different
air massIn meteorology, an air mass is a large volume of air defined by its temperature and water vapor content. Air masses cover many hundreds or thousands of square miles, and adopt the characteristics of the surface below them. They are classified according to latitude and their continental or...
es, neither of which is strong enough to replace the other. On a weather map, this is shown by an inter playing series of blue spikes pointing one direction, then red domes pointing the other.They tend to remain essentially in the same area for extended periods of time, and waves sometimes propagate along the frontal boundary. A wide variety of weather can be found along a stationary front, but usually
cloudA cloud is a visible mass of droplets or frozen crystals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of the Earth or another planetary body. A cloud is also a visible mass attracted by gravity, such as masses of material in space called interstellar clouds and nebulae...
s, prolonged
precipitationIn meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that is deposited on the Earth's surface. The main forms of precipitation include rain, snow, ice pellets, and graupel...
, and storm trains are found there. Stationary fronts will either dissipate after several days or devolve into shear lines, but can change into a cold or warm front if conditions aloft change.
A stationary front becomes a
shearline when the density contrast across the frontal boundary vanishes, usually as a result of temperature equalization, while the narrow zone of wind shift persists for a time. This is most common over the open ocean as the temperature of the ocean surface is usually the same on both sides of the frontal boundary and modifies the air masses on either side of it to correspond to its own temperature.
Produces altocumulus clouds and winds are gentle to nill.
Stationary fronts are marked on
weather mapA weather map is a tool used to display information quickly, showing the analysis of various meteorological quantities at various levels of the atmosphere. Maps using isotherms show temperature gradients, which can help locate weather fronts. Isotach maps, analyzing lines of equal wind speed, on...
s with alternating red half-circles and blue spikes pointing in opposite directions, indicating no significant movement.
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