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Cloud Types and Characteristics: A Comprehensive Guide

Explore how clouds form and learn to identify them in the real world. Discover high, middle, and low-level clouds, as well as formations with vertical development and other unique cloud types. Improve your cloud recognition skills with Latin root word meanings and exercise suggestions.

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Cloud Types and Characteristics: A Comprehensive Guide

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  1. Cloud Typesand Reasons Why They Occur

  2. Purpose • To discover how clouds form. • To be able to distinguish them in the real world.

  3. A Quick Overview Latin Root Words and Their Meaning: -Cumulus: Heap -Stratus: Layer -Cirrus: Curl of Hair -Nimbus: Rain

  4. High Level Clouds • Form above 20,000 feet and are mostly composed of ice crystals. • Typically are thin and white in appearance. • The prefix Cirr- denotes clouds in this high layer. • Ex. Cirrostratus, Cirrus, Cirrocumulus Cirrostratus Cirrus Cirrocumulus

  5. Middle Level Clouds • Bases of these clouds are between 6,500 feet and 20,000 feet and are primarily composed of water droplets. • Can be composed of ice crystals when temperatures are cold enough. • The prefix Alto- denotes clouds in this middle layer. • Ex. Altostratus, Altocumulus Altostratus Altocumulus

  6. Low Level Clouds • Bases lay lower than 6,500 feet and are mostly composed of water droplets. • Can be composed of ice particles and snow if temperatures are cold enough. • Some clouds in this layer can precipitate. • Ex. Stratus, Stratocumulus, Nimbostratus Stratus Stratocumulus Nimbostratus

  7. Clouds with Vertical Development • Are created mostly by thermal convection (hot summer days) or frontal lifting (cold fronts). • Can grow to heights of 40,000+ feet. • Releases incredible amounts of energy through the condensation of water vapor within the cloud. • Ex. Cumulus, Cumulonimbus Cumulus Cumulonimbus

  8. Other Cloud Formations • These clouds do not fit into the typical classifications mentioned in the previous slides. • The causes of these clouds vary greatly. • Examples: • Contrails – created by air planes. • Billow Clouds (wave clouds) – created by instability. • Mammatus – created by sinking motions. • Pileus Clouds (capping clouds) – created when air is forced upward and cooled. Usually associated with convection but can be seen covering mountain tops. • Lenticular Clouds – created when air is forced upward by orographic barriers.

  9. Contrails Billow Clouds Mammatus Pileus Clouds Lenticular Clouds

  10. Exercise: Name That Cloud _____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Hint: Look at the base _____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Hint: This is a mid level cloud

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