A stationary front is a boundary between two different air masses, 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 and 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 clouds, prolonged precipitation, 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.
Famous quotes containing the words stationary and/or front:
“It is the dissenter, the theorist, the aspirant, who is quitting this ancient domain to embark on seas of adventure, who engages our interest. Omitting then for the present all notice of the stationary class, we shall find that the movement party divides itself into two classes, the actors, and the students.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“For as she eats wisdom like the halves of a pear she puts one foot in front of the other. She climbs the dark wing.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)