Atmospheric fronts from a climatologist's perspective: A review

Abstract

The term atmospheric front has been in use for a century. The definition of atmospheric front has evolved and changed over time. First, this concept was used to analyze and predict weather through subjective analysis of synoptic maps. The advent of computer technology has enabled the emergence of various types of objective analysis, which have made it possible to find different types of relationships between atmospheric fronts and meteorological and climatological variables. The relationship between fronts and atmospheric precipitation has been studied in detail, but a systematic analysis of the relationship between fronts and surface temperature is still missing. Climatology of fronts from different authors indicate the same main features, although they are based on different objective analyses and input data. Past and future changes in the position and activity of fronts were analyzed thanks to the objective analysis of reanalysis data and climate models.