Lift (soaring) - Convergence Zones

Convergence Zones

The boundaries where two air masses meet are known as convergence zones. These can occur in sea breezes or in desert regions. A sea-breeze (or onshore breeze) is a wind from the sea that develops over land near coasts. In a sea-breeze front, cold air from the sea meets the warmer air from the land and creates a boundary like a shallow cold front along a shear line. This creates a narrow band of soarable lift with winds as light as 10 knots (19 km/h). These permit the gaining of altitude by flying along the intersection as if it were a ridge of land. Convergence may occur over considerable distances and so may permit virtually straight flight while climbing.

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