The Changma front is a classic example of a quasi-stationary front. The physical mechanism can be explained by looking at its boundary, stationary status, and baroclinicity.​​​ 

 

  Firstly, the Changma front forms along the boundary between two dominant air masses; the Western North Pacific Subtropical High (WNPSH), which transport warm, highly moist air northward, and the Okhotsk High (or the modified continental air mass), which supplies cooler air from north-east.

​

  After the collision of two different types of air mass, the front remains quasi-stationary. This is when the advection of momentum is nearly balanced. The balance is often modulated by the intensity and position of the upper-level flow, such as the jet stream, and the strength of the WNPSH.

 

  Lastly, the frontal zone is highly baroclinic meaning that the surfaces of constant pressure are not parallel to the surfaces of the constant temperature. This thermal gradient fuels the atmospheric instability necessary for cyclone/wave development along the front, which further enhances the localized rainfall intensity.