Cirrostratus indicate that a large amount of moisture is present in the upper atmosphere. In 2020, the travel industry has seen perhaps its worst year ever. Stratus that touches the Earth's surface is given the common name, fog, rather than a Latin name that applies only to clouds that form and remain aloft in the troposphere. They are characterized by altitude as very high level (polar stratospheric) and extreme level (polar mesospheric). Let me tell you there are many different kinds of cloud formations above in the sky. The Four Core Types of Clouds. A Comprehensive Guide. Isolated cirrus do not bring rain; however, large amounts of cirrus can indicate an approaching storm system eventually followed by fair weather.
Incus – "Anvil": Top part of a mature cumulonimbus cloud; anvil-shaped feature. These low-lying, puffy looking clouds are spaced closely together, with small pieces of blues sky visible in between them. Castellanus (Cas) – Latin for "castle-like": Applies to stratocumuliform (Sc cas, Ac cas, Cc cas) and dense cirriform (Ci cas) with a series of, Congestus (Con) – Latin for "congested": Applies to cumuliform (Cu con/Tcu) with great vertical development and heaped into. Clouds of the genus cumulonimbus have very dark gray to nearly black flat bases and very high tops that can penetrate the tropopause. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? The genus types (including some cumulus sub-types) are arranged from top to bottom in the left column in approximate descending order of average overall altitude range. 2 kilometres (6,600 ft) and are generally composed of water droplets.[5]. A Shelf cloud is a low and horizontal shaped cloud. Stratus clouds hang low in the sky as a flat, featureless, uniform layer of grayish cloud. Cumulus clouds appear during sunny days early in the day and disappear towards the evening. Clouds of the genus stratocumulus are lumpy, often forming in slightly unstable air, and they can produce very light rain or drizzle. Middle cloud forms from 2 to 7 km (6,500–23,000 ft) in temperate latitudes, and may be composed of water droplets or ice crystals depending on the temperature profile at that altitude range.[5]. Homogenitus (homo-/pertaining to humans) – formed as a result of human activities, particularly aircraft at high altitudes and heat-generating industrial activities at surface level. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fibratus (Fib) – "Fibrous": Cirriform (Ci fib) or high stratiform (Cs fib) in the form of filaments, can be straight or slightly curved. National Weather Service Cirrus clouds will have lots of blue sky accompanying them, while for cirrostratus clouds, little or no sky will be visible, and the sun will likely be behind the clouds (typically with a “halo” around it). ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Clouds are large groups of tiny water droplets (vapor) or ice crystals that cling to pieces of dust in the atmosphere. Some you will experience low to the ground, however, some are a way to high up in the sky. These clouds are also very rare to watch. Due to the refraction of light by ice crystals, these clouds form the rainbow-colored halos we often see forming around the sun. Cirrus homomutatus; cirrus formed by the complete transformation of cirrus homogenitus. But even that is not always the case. They are sorted from left to right in approximate decreasing order of frequency of occurrence for each of three categories. Cumulogenitus – spreading out or partial transformation of cumulus. These two kinds of clouds look similar, but they are different sizes. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. As far as precipitation goes, these clouds are known for producing heavy rainfall and hailstorms. The low-level cloud formation usually forms in the lowest two kilometres of the atmosphere and appear in the form of grey to white low clouds or regular clumps or patches arranged in the form of bands or rolls that lie across the wind.
They resemble fog that hugs the horizon (instead of the ground).
Tuba: – "Funnel" or "tube": Feature in the form of a column hanging from the bottom of cumulus or cumulonimbus.
They are characterized by their woolly, round/oval shaped appearance. The many variations, however, can be grouped into one of 10 basic types depending on their general shape and height in the sky. Burroughs, William James; Crowder, Bob (January 2007). JetStream, Comments? If the precipitation becomes continuous, it may thicken into nimbostratus which can bring precipitation of moderate to heavy intensity. Researchers all over the world have classified these cloud formations in different types, Let us discuss 10 different types of clouds formations and their meanings, Types of Clouds Formations 1. They often are arranged in parallel rows. Perlucidus – "Semi-transparent": Sheet of stratocumuliform cloud with small spaces between elements. In this post, you will discover 50 philes and what their love and obsession is for. They start at a low cloud level and can grow and expand up to the highest level. Tornadoes rarely occur with the shelf cloud. They also formed at a lower altitude. Three of the five physical forms in the troposphere are also seen at these higher levels, stratiform, cirriform, and stratocumuliform, although the tops of very large cumulonimbiform clouds can penetrate the lower stratosphere. Due to the height of these clouds, they don't produce precipitation of any kind on their own.
Nimbostratus clouds form a thick, dark layer across the sky. These are fair weather cumuliform clouds of limited convection that do not grow vertically. They are often thick enough to blot out the sun. Velum – "A ship's sail": An accessory cloud in the form of a sail. The light, puffy looking clouds scattered across the sky, are arguably the most well-known of all the clouds. The actual division between these regions varies from day to day and season to season. Are you also learning about dynamic equilibrium in your science class? Like their name suggests (which is Latin for "curl of hair"), cirrus are thin, white, wispy strands of clouds that streak across the sky. Anvil rollover – (slang) circular protrusion attached to underside of anvil. Clouds are given different names based on their shape and their height in the sky. These thick clouds are listed in approximate descending order of altitude of the cloud tops. Cirrocumulus clouds are rare and relatively short-lived, but you'll see them in winter or when it's cold but fair. How Are Clouds Classified? Clouds are also classified by their altitude and their ability to create precipitation. Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ac47d87c4f05785dc3a186f85564778b" );document.getElementById("a729cefbcf").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. What Is The Difference Between A Hurricane, Typhoon, And Cyclone? Thick overcast clouds of sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide in three main layers at altitudes of 45 to 65 km that obscure the planet's surface and can produce virga. Stratiform clouds of the genus altostratus form when a large convectively stable airmass is lifted to condensation in the middle level of the troposphere, usually along a frontal system. They are also usually seen after the thunderstorm and cold fronts. They are still thin enough to be able to see the sun through them. The root word “cirro” (meaning “curl”) describes a high cloud that is usually composed of wispy ice crystals. The species associated with each genus type are listed in approximate ascending order of instability where applicable.