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location > boundaries > oceanic fronts

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Created: 2026-02-20T13:26:57

oceanic fronts  

Definition

  • Information An oceanic front is a narrow zone of enhanced horizontal gradients of water properties (temperature, salinity, nutrients, etc.) that separates broader areas with different water masses or different vertical structure (stratification). Fronts are often described as discontinuities because of their abrupt nature. Fronts occur on a variety of length scales, from a few meters up to many thousands of kilometers. Fronts can be short-lived (days), although most fronts are quasi-stationary and seasonally persistent; prominent fronts are present year-around.

    Created: 2/20/26

     (en)

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Scope note

  • The oceanic front, a narrow transition zone delineating diverse water masses in the ocean, plays a crucial role in marine ecosystems, climate patterns, and ocean dynamics. (en)

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URI

http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_69cb9101

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RDF/XML TURTLE JSON-LD Created 2/20/26, last modified 2/23/26