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Definition of clouds
03
Formation of clouds
06
Classification of clouds
10
Vertically Developed clouds
16
Categories
19
1) Cumulus clouds
20
1) Hmulis
23
2) Fractus
26
3) Congestus
28
4) Castellanus
29
2) Cumulonimbus clouds
31
1) Cumulonimbus Incus
36
2) Cumulonimbus Mammatus 38
3) Cumulonimbus Calvus
41
6) References
44
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

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 A visible collection of CONDENSED

tiny water droplets and ice crystals suspended
in the atmosphere.
Clouds can be in variety of forms.
Some are found at high elevation but other
are near the ground relatively

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All the
weathering
phenomenon
occurs due to
the clouds
ranges within
the
troposphere.

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 Water is known to exist in three forms:

Clouds, snow and rain are all made up of

some form of water.

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Generally produced by atmospheric motion with

upward component cools the air.

Clouds form when temperature is below the dew

point.
When air blows over the colder surface.
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By orographic uplift of air near the mountainous

terrain.

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 Air parcel will rise up naturally if the air

within it is warmer than the surrounding air by

convection.

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Clouds are classified into a system that uses

Latin words to describe their appearances.
They are define on the basis of their
Heights.
This was done by an English chemist Luke
Howard in 1803.

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HOWARD divided them into 4 categories

using Latin names as:
LATIN NAMES

ENGLISH NAMES

Cirrus

Curl of hair

Stratus

Layer like

Cumulus

Heap

Nimbus

Rain

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 They are further divided into 4 groups having 10

types of the clouds:
GROUPS

HEIGHTS

High Clouds

5-13km

Middle Clouds

2-7km

Low Clouds

0-2km

Vertically Developed Clouds

---

The first 3 groups are differentiating by their heights.

The fourth group contains thick clouds as they are
NOT describe on the basis of heights level from
grounds.
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STRATUS
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CIRRUS
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C
U
M
U
L
U
S
N
I
M
B
U
S
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 Cirrus
Cirrostratus
Cirrocumulus

Altostratus
Altocumulus

High
Clouds

Middle
Clouds

Vertically
Developed
Clouds

Low
Clouds

Cumulus
Cumulonimbus

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Stratus
Stratocumulus
Nimbostratus

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 They

are due to unstable atmospheric

conditions.
Height can range up to 12000m.
Generated most commonly either by
thermal convection or frontal lifting.
Releasing incredible amount of energy to
condensed the water vapor within the clouds.
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They are
generally not the
sign of calm
weather.

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Vertically developed clouds are more

conveniently divided into 2 categories as:
1)Cumulus Clouds
i. Cumulus Humilis Clouds
ii. Cumulus Fractus Clouds
iii. Cumulus Congestus Clouds
iv. Cumulus Constellus Clouds
2)Cumulonimbus Clouds
i. Cumulonimbus Incus Clouds
ii. Cumulonimbus Mammatus Clouds
iii. Cumulonimbus Calvus Clouds
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They look like white ball of cotton _ isolated in sky.

Are sign of pleasant weather.
They have flat bottoms and lumpy tops.
Top often is in the form of towers--- shows the limit
of rising air.

Formation :
Rising air is associated with high relative humidity.
Generally they are formed by convection resulting
from solar heating in summers.
Over open lakes in autumn and winters.
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They are found as low as 330ft.

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Humilis stands for HUMBLE.

Generally have flattened bases and slight vertical
development.
Mostly rises up to 5-8km.

Formation :
Once the thermals rise above the surface, the
potential for cloud development increases.
At the condensation level, the relative humidity of
the thermal air will be around 100 percent (saturated).

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Between each cumulus humilis, the air descends slowly

to replace the rising thermals

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As a
result,
the
cloud field
can
look
very
regularl
-y
Spaced.

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Cumulus clouds that appear in irregular

fragments, as if they had been shred or torn.

Always appear in
association with other
clouds.
For a short time
before, during and a
short time after
precipitation.

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They can form in fair weather as rising pockets of

warm air rise and condense into these proto-clouds

Cumulus fractus on
not-so-fair days, too,
as they "shredded" by
larger cumulonimbus
cloud after a rain
storm
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Congestus is Latin for "piled-up".

When a humilis cloud grows vertically
it turns into a congestus cloud.
These
clouds
may
produce
abunda
nt
showers
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It stands for Castle-like.

It displays multiple towers
arising from its top, indicating
significant vertical air
movement

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These clouds are named because they are puffy

("cumulo") and because they often are dark clouds
which cause rainstorms ("nimbus").
Cumulonimbus clouds are characterized
as tall, dense clouds
These are more vertically developed than fair
weather cumulus and have tops that can reach up to
39,000 feet (12,000m).
These are fueled by strong updrafts that transfer air
up through the atmosphere.
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Cumulonimbus clouds designs

its formation mostly during the
afternoon time, as this the time
when the earth surface gets
heated up.
Cumulonimbus clouds are
usually seen in the shape of
mushroom.

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Common types of Clouds

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Cumulonimbus Cloud Over Africa

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March 24, 2011

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Image Credit: NASA

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Incus stands for Anvil.

A mature cumulonimbus incus is definitely the
King of Clouds, and sometimes reaching 60,000 feet
in tropical and subtropical areas.
Formation always be regarded as a significant
aviation hazard because of :
the powerful air currents involved in its formation and
the potentially damaging effect of the large hailstones it
may produce.

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They look like BAG.

Mammatus is one of the most spectacular and
distinctive of all cloud formations.

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During a thunderstorm, warm, moist updrafts rise to

the top of the troposphere. Here the temperature levels
off and the air stabilizes. This causes the rising cloud to
expand horizontally over areas of cooler, cloud-free air.

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Mechanisi
m for rain
formation by
cumulonimb
us
mammatus.

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Calvus stands for Bald.

Calvus occurs when convection and atmospheric
instability combine to push the cloud tops beyond the
congestus stage to heights of up to 30,000 feet.

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The mushrooming top is a sign

of the vigorous updrafts that may
eventually force the cloud up into
the highest levels of the
troposphere.
At this level of the troposphere,
temperatures are normally well
below freezing, and any
condensation that takes place will
produce ice crystals rather than
water droplets.
This gives the top of the cloud a
brilliant, white appearance.
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1. www.buzzel.com
2. www.uwsp.com
3. www.atmosphere.com
4. www.uiuc.com
5. www.climate4you.com
6. www.apollo.com
7. www.merrian.com
8. www.anglefire.com
9. www.cityofportsomuth.com
10.www.mapmakermeteor.com
11.www.islandnet.com
12.www.jeffsweather.com
13.www.mariauthorbooks.com
14.www.chitambo.com
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15. www.trueknowldge.com
16. www.chalkrichmond.co
m
17. www.mapsofworld.com
18. www.airlinepilots.com

1. Google.com

1. Meteorology Today
by C. Donald Ahrens
6th edition
METEOROLOGY

44