Weather fronts

Question 1

What is a cold front?

Answer 1

Boundary between warm and cold air (cold air is advancing and pushing under and replacing warm air at a point on the earth’s surface - because cold air is heavier/denser)

Question 2

What is a warm front?

Answer 2

Boundary between cold and warm air (warm air replaces cold air - moving in and rising up over cold air because it is less dense/lighter)

Question 3

What is an occluded [hidden] front?

Answer 3

Formed when a cold front catches up with a warm front –> warm air in the warm sector is forced up from the surface (and therefore hidden)

Question 4

Does a cold front move faster or slower than a warm front? And what does this cause?

Answer 4

Cold fronts - move faster than warm fronts
- If it is catching up warm fronts from behind
–>It forced warm air up really swiftly
Cumulonimbus clouds
Thunder, lightening etc
–> more intense rainfall (with the faster movement of air)

Question 5

What kinds of clouds do warm fronts cause and why?

Answer 5

Warm front - move much slower over cold fronts

- Tend to have a variety of spaced out kinds of clouds as the air is moving slower and forms different clouds at different points  - less moisture