Q)What is a Front?What are the diferent types of Fronts?

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It'a a term introduced by Bjerkness school in Norway(1918) to describe a sloping boundary

plane
or surface of separating 2 air masses that exhibit diferent meteorological properties or
characteristics.
the interface of which may be narrow & on a small scale when it is termed as a -frntal
surface(eg.-warm
front associated with depression) & may be broad & on scale of a frontal zone(eg.-Atlantic
Polar Front).
The different types of front are as follows:-
1)The Arctic Front:-this is a distinctive baroclinic zone separating the ice & snow of the
high Arctic regions from the more moderate polar/tundra environments to the Pacific
portion does move further south into N.W.North America in winter as the high Arctic freeze
is acentuated by polar night.
2)Polar Front:-It's well known active zone of frontogenesis in atlantic & pacific oceans.It's
quite variable depending on the seasonal distribution & extent of polar & tropical air
masses.In the winter,it shifts equatorwards when the Atlantic front may extend into Gulf of
Mexico to represent the juxtaposition of cold north American air mass & warmer Tm air
mass.A secondary zone evelops at this time in the cental Pacific whwnever the sub-
tropical high there is split into 2 cells with converging air currents between them.
In summer,it contracts polewards & 2 principle zones of polar front activity
occur over the mid-latitudes of North America & western Asia/Japan in relation to the
general weak meridional temperature gradient.The frontal activity is rather slight at this
time of year,compared to the more vigorous winter activity.
3)Medditerranean Front:-This is the only a winter feature when,at intervals,air streams
from Europe(Pm/Pc) & N.Africa(Tc) converge mediterranean sea bringing together air
masses of markedly different temperature conditions.
This convergence initiates & sustains frontogenesis,which can lead to cyclogenesis &
distributed cyclonic activity with clouds,rain,gales.In summer the sub-tropical westerly Jet
stream & sub-tropical anticyclone & the resultant dynamic divergence means that the
frontogenesis can't occur,so hot,dry weather preavails.
4)Ocluded front:-a type of front developed in id-latitude depression which results in more
than rapidly advancing cold front;the effect is to raise the tropical maritime airmas of the
warm sector well above the Earth's surface.The formation of an occlude front thus marks
the onset of the decay phase of a depression.Eventually the 2 limbs of the cold front
become united &,is fuly occluded latent heat of condensation,the depression,the warm air
is found only aloft.With the deminishing supply of latent heat of condensation there are 2
types of occlusion:-
a)Warm occlusion:-It's formed where the advancing cold air is warmer than the cold air
ahead of the warm front,it will ride above the leading cold air in manner of a warm front.
b)Cold occlusion:-Where the advancing cold air is cooler than the cold air ahead of the
warm front,it will under cut the leading cold air in the maner of a cold front.
Any cyclone within which there has developed an occluded front is called occluded
cyclone.Eg.-Temperate cyclone.
5)Ana Front:-It's active all the time ,since unstable conditions promote a pronounced
uplift of warmer air (analogous to anabatic wind) & extensive cumuliform clouds develop
at cold fronts,often to the tropopause,accompanied by torential rain/hail showers.when
coupled with Jet stream scavenging,Ana cold Fronts can produce violent tornadoes,but
these are common in western Europe(compared with more frequent Ana Warm Front).
6)Kata Front:-It's generally inctive since stable conditions are conducive to descending air
(analogous to katabatic wins).Air steam convergence occurs in the lowest few kilomatres
& warm air ascent(& flattened cloud develpment) is confined to this layer.Above this
narrow zone of uplift,divergent or frontolytic conditions exit,with a strong subsidence
inversion accentuating stability.Kata warm fronts are rare in western Europe,although
Kata cold fronts are more common in this region but are not conducive to tornado
development.