Weather Fronts & El Nino/La Nina

Front

What is a weather front?

Back

A boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, often associated with changes in weather.

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What is a cold front?

Back

A cold front occurs when a cold air mass pushes into a warmer air mass, leading to a drop in temperature and often causing precipitation.

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What is a warm front?

Back

A warm front occurs when a warm air mass moves over a cold air mass, leading to gradual warming and often resulting in prolonged precipitation.

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What is a stationary front?

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A stationary front occurs when two air masses meet but neither is strong enough to replace the other, leading to prolonged weather conditions.

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What is an occluded front?

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An occluded front occurs when a cold front overtakes a warm front, causing complex weather patterns and often heavy precipitation.

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What is El Niño?

Back

El Niño is a climate pattern characterized by the warming of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, affecting global weather.

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What is La Niña?

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La Niña is a climate pattern characterized by cooler than average ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, often leading to opposite weather effects of El Niño.

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What happens to trade winds during a La Niña event?

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During a La Niña event, trade winds are much stronger than usual.

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How does El Niño affect trade winds?

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El Niño weakens or reverses the trade winds, causing warm water to move east.

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What is upwelling?

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Upwelling is the process where cool, nutrient-dense water rises to the surface, often supporting marine life.