Clouds are collections of minute droplets of liquid wateror tiny crystals of ice. They are the visible expression ofcondensation and provide perceptible evidence of otherthings happening in the atmosphere. They provide at aglance some understanding of the present weather andare often harbingers of things to come. At any given time,about 50 percent of Earth is covered by clouds, the basicimportance of which is that they are the source of precipitation.Not all clouds precipitate, but all precipitationcomes from clouds.

Although clouds occur in an almost infinite variety ofshapes and sizes, certain general forms recur commonly.Moreover, the various cloud forms are normally foundonly at certain generalized altitudes,basisof these two factors—form and altitude—that clouds areclassified. an d it is on the<img alt=”” height=”473″ src=”https://i.filecdn.in/476edenias/freesnippingtool-com_capture_20201121132135-1605945197794.png” width=”566″ />

These three cloud forms are subclassified into 10 typesbased on shape (Figure 6-16). The types overlap, andcloud development frequently is in a state of change, sothat one type may evolve into another. Three of the 10types are purely of one form, and these are called cirrusclouds, stratus clouds, and cumulus clouds. The otherseven types may be combinations of these three. Cirrocumulusclouds, for example, have the wispiness of cirrusclouds and the puffiness of cumulus clouds.

Precipitation comes from clouds that have “nimb” intheir name, specifically nimbostratus or cumulonimbus.Normally these types develop from other types; that is,cumulonimbus clouds develop from cumulus clouds, andnimbostratus clouds develop from stratus clouds.

1. High clouds are generally found above 6 kilometers(20,000 feet). Because of the small amount of watervapor and low temperature at such altitudes, theseclouds are thin, white, and composed of ice crystals.Included in this family are cirrus, cirrocumulus, andcirrostratus. These high clouds often are harbingers ofan approaching weather system or storm.

2. Middle clouds normally occur between about 2 and 6kilometers (6500 and 20,000 feet). They may be eitherstratiform or cumuliform and are composed of liquidwater. Included types are altocumulus and altostratus.The puffy altocumulus clouds usually indicate settledweather conditions, whereas the lengthy altostratus isoften associated with changing weather.

3. Low clouds usually are below 2 kilometers (6500feet). They sometimes occur as individual cloudsbut more often appear as a general overcast. Lowcloud types include stratus, stratocumulus, andnimbostratus. These low clouds often are widespreadand are associated with somber skies and drizzlyrain.

4. A fourth family, clouds of vertical development, growsupward from low bases to heights of as much as 15kilometers (60,000 feet). Their horizontal spreadis usually very restricted. They indicate very activevertical movements in the air. The relevant types are

CLOUDS| GS ARTICLES

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