SCA Pre-Solo Written Practice Exam

A cold front is characterized by a rapid temperature drop following its passage. As a cold front moves into an area, it replaces warmer air at the surface. The denser and cooler air associated with the cold front forces the warmer air upward, which can lead to the development of clouds and precipitation, often resulting in thunderstorms. Once the cold front has passed, the temperature typically decreases sharply because the colder air mass takes over, resulting in noticeably cooler temperatures very quickly after the front moves through.

In contrast, warm fronts tend to bring a gradual temperature increase and may also produce precipitation, but the temperature transition is more gradual rather than rapid. Occluded fronts involve the merging of cold and warm fronts, and while they can bring various weather changes, they do not specifically create the rapid temperature drop seen with cold fronts. Stationary fronts generally do not lead to a significant change in temperature as they involve air masses that are not moving significantly relative to each other. Hence, the correct identification of a weather phenomenon that causes a rapid temperature drop is indeed associated with cold fronts.