FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Practice Exam

Which front is linked to temperature inversions?

1. A warm front

2. A stationary front

3. A cold front

4. An occluded front

The correct answer is: A cold front

Temperature inversions are primarily associated with warm fronts. During a temperature inversion, a layer of warm air traps cooler air at the surface, which can lead to a variety of weather phenomena including fog or low cloud formation, and can limit vertical mixing in the atmosphere. When a warm front moves into an area, it brings warm, moist air over a cooler air mass. This can lead to a temperature inversion because the warm air stays aloft while the cooler air remains closer to the ground, creating a stable atmospheric condition. Because of this layering effect, air quality can be adversely affected due to the buildup of pollutants trapped under the inversion layer. It’s important to note that cold fronts, stationary fronts, and occluded fronts have different characteristics and typically do not create the same type of temperature inversion conditions. While certain weather patterns may involve complex interactions of these fronts, they do not specifically lead to the classic inversion scenario that a warm front does.