FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Practice Exam

What situation describes a cold front overtaking a warm front?

1. Stationary front

2. Occluded front

3. Warm front

4. Cold front

The correct answer is: Occluded front

A cold front overtaking a warm front creates an occluded front. This occurs when a cold air mass advances more quickly than a warm air mass, lifting the warm air off the ground. The warm air is pushed upwards, leading to the formation of an occluded front, which is characterized by the interaction between the two different air masses. In this scenario, you see the cold front forcing itself under the warm air. This process typically results in more turbulent weather patterns, including storms as the warm air is displaced, which can lead to cloud formation and precipitation. The occluded front can take on different characteristics depending on the specific dynamics, but it is fundamentally defined by the cold front's overtaking of the warm front, leading to the lifting of the warm air into the atmosphere. The other options represent different types of weather fronts. A stationary front occurs when neither air mass is advancing significantly, a warm front is where warmer air is advancing over cooler air, and a cold front is where the colder air mass is moving in to displace the warmer air. Therefore, they do not describe the situation of a cold front overtaking a warm front as accurately as the occluded front does.