What characterizes a cold front?

A cold front is characterized by the movement of cold air that advances beneath a warmer air mass. This is significant because as the cold air pushes into the area, it forces the warmer air to rise rapidly. The lifting of the warm air can lead to the development of various weather phenomena, including clouds and precipitation.

In contrast to a warm front, where warm air gradually rises over a mass of cold air, a cold front typically results in more abrupt weather changes. The advanced cold air can lead to significant weather events, often associated with sharp temperature drops and a variety of precipitation types, including rain and thunderstorms, depending on the intensity of the cold front.

Thus, the characteristic movement of cold air displacing warmer air underlies the definition of a cold front and is what makes option B the correct choice.