Question

How is cold front formation different from stationary front formation?

Stationary fronts form between warm and cold air masses, while cold fronts form when a cold air mass advances against a warm air mass.
Cold fronts form between two air masses that barely move, while stationary fronts form when a warm air mass is trapped between two cold air masses.
Cold fronts form when a warm air mass moves over a cold air mass, while stationary air fronts form when a cold air mass moves over a warm air mass.
Stationary fronts form when a warm air mass is trapped between two cold air masses, while cold fronts form when a warm air mass moves over a cold air mass.

Answer 1

The first statement is correct.

- Cold front: a colder, denser air mass advances and undercuts a warmer air mass, forcing the warm air to rise rapidly. That lifting often produces a narrow band of showers or thunderstorms, a noticeable temperature drop, and a wind shift.
- Stationary front: a boundary between warm and cold air where neither mass is advancing much (they're roughly parallel to the front). It can produce extended cloudiness and light to moderate precipitation over the same area for an extended time.

The other choices confuse the motions: stationary fronts are the nearly nonmoving boundaries, not cold fronts, and warm air moving over cold describes a warm front (not a cold or stationary front).