Coastal Meteorology - Institute of Coastal Research

Coastal Fronts
A longer-lived cousin of the
land and sea breeze front
Coastal fronts are shallow mesoscale boundaries that separate
moist marine air from cold, dry continental air.
Along the Carolinas, coastal fronts are typically 1000 km long,
with temperature contrasts as large as 20°C, and may persist for
several days.
These fronts can form in response to the temperature gradient
produced by differential heating across the margin of the Gulf
Stream. But many triggering mechanisms for differential heating.
... also been observed at the Black Sea, and the coasts of Norway,
the Netherlands, and Japan.
These fronts are particularly important because they are often
associated with cyclogenesis and heavy precipitation.
M.Quante 2002