Two unmoving air masses of different temperatures form which weather feature?

Two unmoving air masses of different temperatures form which weather feature?

• A. Cold front
• B. Warm front
• C. Stationary front
• D. Occluded front

Answer: (C)

When two air masses with different temperatures sit next to each other but neither moves, the boundary between them is a stationary front. The front stays in roughly one place, so the weather tends to be persistent along that boundary—cloudy skies and prolonged, light to moderate precipitation, sometimes with fog or drizzle. This differs from cold fronts (where a cold air mass pushes into warmer air, causing rapid lifting and often heavy showers), warm fronts (warm air overtops colder air, bringing steadier rain ahead of the front), and occluded fronts (a cold front catches up to a warm front, lifting the warm air off the ground). The unmoving boundary described here best fits a stationary front.

When two air masses with different temperatures sit next to each other but neither moves, the boundary between them is a stationary front. The front stays in roughly one place, so the weather tends to be persistent along that boundary—cloudy skies and prolonged, light to moderate precipitation, sometimes with fog or drizzle.

This differs from cold fronts (where a cold air mass pushes into warmer air, causing rapid lifting and often heavy showers), warm fronts (warm air overtops colder air, bringing steadier rain ahead of the front), and occluded fronts (a cold front catches up to a warm front, lifting the warm air off the ground). The unmoving boundary described here best fits a stationary front.