A student tracks the daily weather. The student's observations are logged in the table. Which factor in the atmosphere best explains the student's observations?
A. a cold front moved into the area.
B. high levels of moisture are contained within an air mass.
C. a warm front moved into the area.
D. a warm air mass replaced a cold air mass.
Grid:
Day 1: sunny and warm
Day 2: cloudy and rainy
Day 3: drop in temperature
Day 4: clear skies and cold temperatures
Based on the given observations, the factor in the atmosphere that best explains the student's observations is:
D. a warm air mass replaced a cold air mass.
Day 1: sunny and warm - This suggests the presence of a warm air mass.
Day 2: cloudy and rainy - This can occur when warm air mass is replaced by a cold front, leading to the formation of clouds and precipitation.
Day 3: drop in temperature - This drop in temperature is consistent with the arrival of a cold air mass.
Day 4: clear skies and cold temperatures - This suggests that the cold air mass has fully replaced the warm air mass, leading to clear skies and cold temperatures.
Therefore, the most likely explanation for these observations is that a warm air mass was replaced by a cold air mass, indicating option D.