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Geolens

Glossary

417 words used in the labs.

Find a term from the labs, understand the process behind it, and see how it appears in the landscape. Each entry connects an explanation with a real observation and a model you can explore.

Term

Warm front

The boundary where a warmer air mass advances over colder air near the surface. Gradual uplift can produce extensive layered cloud and precipitation. The exact weather depends on moisture, stability and the larger storm system.

What to look for

NOAA surface analyses during a late-February 2022 storm. Isobars join equal pressure; front symbols identify analysed boundaries between air masses.

Related labs

Fronts as wedges →
Four NOAA surface analysis charts show pressure contours and weather fronts during a North American storm.
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Explore further with USGS water glossary · USGS volcano glossary · NPS glacial geology · NASA Earth facts. Photograph acknowledgements are collected on the Image credits page.