What is Frontolysis in geography?

Asked by: Rachael Ward

Frontolysis in meteorology, is the dissipation or weakening of an atmospheric front. In contrary to areas of “Frontogenesis”, the areas where air masses diverge are called areas of frontolysis.

What do you mean by Frontolysis?

Definition of frontolysis

: a process tending to destroy a meteorological front.

What is Frontogenesis and Frontolysis?

Frontogenesis refers to the initial formation of a surface front or frontal zone, while frontolysis is the dissipation or weakening of a front.

How does Frontolysis occur?

CONDITIONS NECESSARY FOR FRONTOLYSIS Frontolysis, or the dissipation of a front, occurs when either the temperature difference between the two air masses disappears or the wind carries the air particles of the air mass away from each other.

What is front in geography Upsc?

Front is a three-dimensional boundary zone formed between two converging air masses with different physical properties (temperature, humidity, density, etc.).

What causes Frontogenesis?

Frontogenesis can be caused by kinematic, thermodynamic, and dynamic processes. Because of Coriolis force, cold arctic air cannot spread far from the poles, causing a quasi-permanent frontal boundary in the winter hemisphere. This is called the polar front.

What are frontal zones?

Frontal zones are regions of convergence and lift, which, in the presence of moisture, leads to cloud formation (condensation) and precipitation. On a pressure level map, relative humidity values are typically higher along a front.

What is Airfront?

A front is a weather system that is the boundary separating two different types of air. One type of air is usually denser than the other, with different temperatures and different levels of humidity. This clashing of air types causes weather: rain, snow, cold days, hot days, and windy days.

What is warm sector in geography?

Definition of warm sector

: the region of warm air bounded by the cold front and a warm front of a cyclone.

What is occlusion in geography?

n. (Physical Geography) meteorol the line or plane occurring where the cold front of a depression has overtaken the warm front, raising the warm sector from ground level. Also called: occlusion.

What is polar front Upsc?

Polar front is an area where cold polar winds meet hot tropical air masses. Temperature of these two air masses is very different and leads to formation of stationary front.

What are air masses Upsc?

Air mass can be defined as a large air volume with uniform temperature and moisture. These masses can stretch thousands of miles horizontally over the Earth’s surface, and vertically from ground level to the stratosphere (10 miles) into the atmosphere.

What are the four major types of fronts?

There are four different types of weather fronts: cold fronts, warm fronts, stationary fronts, and occluded fronts.

What front causes thunderstorms?

A cold front does the same thing with a warm air mass. The warm air is forced to rise because it is less dense than the cold air. This causes a surge of rising motion with is known to generate thunderstorms.

What does a Purple weather front mean?

Occluded fronts

Occluded fronts point to a decrease in intensity of the parent weather system and are indicated by a purple line with alternating triangles and half-moons on the side of its motion.

What is the difference between cold front and warm front?

Basically, a weather front represents a boundary between two different air masses, such as warm and cold air. If cold air is advancing into warm air, a cold front is present. On the other hand, if a cold air mass is retreating and warm air is advancing, a warm front exists.

What is the difference between warm and cold air?

Cold air is more dense than warm air causing what is called high pressure. Warm air which is lighter cause low pressure. In the area of higher pressure the air molecules are closer together than they are in an area of lower pressure. Air that is warmed exerts less pressure on the ground creating a low pressure region.

What do warm fronts bring?

WARM FRONT:

Warm fronts can be much more broad and will often extend eastward from low pressure. Since this is advancing warm air, it essentially can look like a cold front that is retreating. Precipitation associated with this front will be stratiform (widespread) and rarely will bring thunderstorms in the Northeast.

What direction does a warm front move?

A warm front is defined as the transition zone where a warm air mass is replacing a cold air mass. Warm fronts generally move from southwest to northeast and the air behind a warm front is warmer and more moist than the air ahead of it.

What type of clouds are associated with warm fronts?

Warm fronts produce clouds when warm air replaces cold air by sliding above it. Many different cloud types can be created in this way: altocumulus, altostratus, cirrocumulus, cirrostratus, cirrus, cumulonimbus (and associated mammatus clouds), nimbostratus, stratus, and stratocumulus.

Where does rain occur in a warm front?

When Does Rain Occur in a Warm Front? Rain occurs on the leading edge of a warm front. Since warm air is less dense than cold air, it gradually advances over the cold air in a process called gradual frontal lifting and allows for precipitation to develop ahead of the frontal boundary.

What weather is behind a warm front?

The air mass behind a warm front is likely to be warmer and more moist than the one before the front. If a warm front is approaching, light rain or light winter precipitation is possible before and as the front passes. Behind the front, expect clearing skies, warmer temperatures and higher relative humdities.

What is warm air?

[′wȯrm ¦er ′mas] (meteorology) An air mass that is warmer than the surrounding air; an implication that the air mass is warmer than the surface over which it is moving.

Where does warm air come from?

The most powerful force which causes air to rise and cool is the Sun. When the Sun heats the surface of the Earth, warming of the air above the ground takes place. This warm air rises and cools as it goes higher. At a certain point, condensation will occur and clouds will form.

What causes wind?

During the day, air above the land heats up faster than air over water. Warm air over land expands and rises, and heavier, cooler air rushes in to take its place, creating wind. At night, the winds are reversed because air cools more rapidly over land than it does over water.

What is called wind?

Just like water currents in the ocean, the atmosphere has air currents that flow from one place to another. Air is constantly moving around the earth. This moving air is called wind. Winds are created when there are differences in air pressure from one area to another.

What is wind in geography?

Wind is the movement of air, caused by the uneven heating of the Earth by the sun and the Earth’s own rotation. Winds range from light breezes to natural hazards such as hurricanes and tornadoes.