Clouds

1
What are clouds?
Clouds are made of water droplets or ice crystals that are so
small and light they are able to stay in the air

Ingredients

Water vapor

Cooling air temperature

Surface to form on - Condensation nuclei

Air to rise
How Does Air Rise?
Convection – air that rises because it is less dense that its surroundings
Orographic lift - air rises because it is going over a mountain
Frontal lift – air that rises at a front
Horizontal convergence – air that is forced to rise because it is
converging
Type of clouds
 Old classification of clouds

Cirrus high, thin, wispy

Stratus layered

Cumulus puffy, vertically-developed

Nimbus rain-producing
 New classification of clouds

Two Characteristics

1. The height of the cloud

2. The cloud’s physical appearance

There are three categories of cloud heights:

High Clouds = Cirrus

5 - 13 km (16,000 - 43,000 ft)

Middle Clouds = Alto

2 - 7 km (7,000 - 23,000 ft)

Low Clouds = Stratus

Surface - 2 km (surface - 7,000 ft)

Clouds with Vertical Growth

Clouds that grow up instead of spreading out across the sky

Surface - 13 km (surface - 43,000 ft)

The cloud’s physical appearance

Cloud created is determined by how fast the air rises.

Cumuloform or fluffy clouds form when air is forced up

rapidly and therefore rises higher.

Stratoform are layered clouds that form when air that is forced
up slowly.

Cirroform clouds are thin feathery/hairy/ curly clouds.

Naming Clouds
Cirrocumulus

Altocumulus

Cumulus