Cloud types
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High-level clouds
Cirrus
Abbreviation: Ci
Cirrus clouds form above 16,500 feet (5,000 m), in the cold region of the troposphere. They are denoted by the prefix cirro- or cirrus. At this altitude water almost always freezes so clouds are composed of ice crystals. The clouds tend to be wispy, and are often transparent. Isolated cirrus clouds often indicate a stable situation and do not bring precipitation, however, large amounts of cirrus can indicate an approaching storm system.
There are several variations of cirrus cloud:
- cirrus castellanus
- A series of dense lumps, or "towers" of cirrus, connected by a thinner base.
- cirrus duplicatus
- cirrus fibratus
- cirrus floccus
- cirrus intortus
- cirrus kelvin-helmholtz
- cirrus radiatus
- cirrus spissatus
- cirrus vertebratus
- cirrus with mammatus
Cirrocumulus
Abbreviation: Cc
Cirrocumulus clouds occur at 20,000-40,000 feet above the earth's surface. They form from cirrus or cirrus clouds which are warmed gently from below. The heating process creates convective currents, or pockes of air which rise and sink inside the cloud. If there is no sign of cirrus or cirrostratus clouds nearby, then the cloud is most likely an altocumulus.
- cirrocumulus castellanus
- Cirrocumulus which feature vertical "clumps".
- cirrocumulus floccus
- cirrocumulus lacunosus
- cirrocumulus lenticularis
- cirrocumulus with mammatus
Cirrostratus
Abbreviation: Cs
Cirrostratus clouds are often translucent and do not bring precipitation.
- cirrostratus duplicatus
- cirrostratus fibratus
- cirrostratus nebulosus
- cirrostratus undulatus
Contrail
Aircraft engines emit water vapour into the atmosphere, and this vapour is then frozen into ice crystals. These are known as condensation trails (contrails).
Medium-level clouds
Altostratus
Abbreviation: AsAltostratus clouds form when a large lifted air mass is condensed, usually from a frontal system, and can bring rain or snow.
- altostratus duplicatus
- altostratus lenticularis
- altostratus mammatus
- altostratus opacus
- altostratus praecipitatio
- altostratus radiatus
- altostratus translucidus
- altostratus undulatus
Altocumulus
Abbreviation: Ac
Altocumulus clouds are not usually associated with a front but can still bring rain or snow.
- altocumulus castellanus
- altocumulus duplicatus
- altocumulus floccus
- altocumulus lacunosus
- altocumulus opacus
- altocumulus perlucidus
- altocumulus radiatus
- altocumulus stratiformis
- altocumulus translucidus
- altocumulus undulatus
- altocumulus virga
- altocumulus with mammatus
Nimbostratus
Abbreviation: Ns
Nimbostratus clouds tend to bring constant precipitation and low visibility.
- nimbostratus floccus
- nimbostratus opacus
- nimbostratus pannus
- nimbostratus praecipitatio
- nimbostratus virga
Low-level clouds
Stratocumulus
Abbreviation: ScStratocumulus clouds are lumpy, layered clouds often following a cold front, and they can produce rain or drizzle.
- stratocumulus castellanus
- stratocumulus duplicatus
- stratocumulus floccus
- stratocumulus lacunosus
- stratocumulus lenticularis
- stratocumulus mammatus
- stratocumulus opacus
- stratocumulus perlucidus
- stratocumulus praecipitatio
- stratocumulus radiatus
- stratocumulus translucidus
- stratocumulus undulatus
Stratus
Abbreviation: StStratus clouds are layerlike clouds associated with widespread precipitation or ocean air, and often produce drizzle.
- stratus fractus
- stratus lenticularis
- stratus nebulosus
- stratus opacus
- stratus praecipitatio
- stratus translucidus
- stratus undulatus
Cumulus
Abbreviation: CuCumulus clouds are sometimes called fair weather clouds but can develop into more storm-condition clouds (cumulonimbus, for example), and continued upward growth suggests showers later in the day.
- arcus
- cumulus congestus
- cumulus fractus
- cumulus humilis
- cumulus mediocris
- cumulus praecipitatio
- cumulus radiatus
- orographic
- pannus
- pileus
- tuba
- velum
Vertically developed clouds
Cumulonimbus
Abbreviation: Cb
Cumulonimbus is the cloud of storms and rain or showers.
Other clouds
- Nacreous cloud (mother of pearl)
A thin cloud seen most often between sunset and sunrise and is 32 to 35 miles (51 to 56 km) high
The meaning of cloud names
Main cloud components
- Altum – height
- Cirrus – lock of hair
- Cumulus – heaped
- Nimbus – rain bearing
- Stratus – layer
Main cloud types
- Altocumulus – altum and cumulus – height and heaped
- Altostratus – altum and stratus – height and layer
- Cirrocumulus – cirrus and cumulus – lock of hair and heaped
- Cirrostratus – cirrus and stratus - lock of hair and layer
- Cirrus – lock of hair
- Cumulonimbus – cumulus and nimbus – heaped and rain bearing
- Cumulus - heaped
- Nimbostratus – nimbus and stratus – rain bearing and layer
- Stratocumulus – stratus and cumulus – layer and heaped
- Stratus – layer
Main sub-cloud types
- Castellanus – castle-like with a series of turret shapes
- Congestus – moderate development and heaped into cauliflower shapes
- Fibratus – thin filament type clouds, can be straight or slightly curved
- Floccus – looking like a tuft of wool, small congestus
- Fractus – irregular shredded appearance
- Humilis – small, low, flattened cumulus
- Lenticularis – having a lens-like appearance
- Mediocris – medium size cumulus with small bulges at the top
- Nebulosus – indistinct cloud without features
- Spissatus – thick cirrus with a grey appearance
- Stratiformis – horizontal cloud sheet
- Uncinus – cirrus with a hook shape at the top
Other cloud types
- Arcus – arch or a bow – mostly attached to cumulus, thick with ragged edges
- Duplicatus – double – partly merged layers of cloud
- Incus – anvil - top part of CB cloud, anvil shaped
- Intortus – twisted – curved and tangled cirrus
- Mamma – cows udder – round pouches on surface of cloud
- Lacunosus – full of holes – thin cloud distinguished by holes and ragged edges
- Opacus – thick and shadowy – an opaque sheet of cloud
- Pannus – shredded cloth – shredded sections attached to main cloud
- Perlucidus – translucent – sheet of cloud with small spaces among itself
- Pileus – capped – hood shaped cumulus type cloud
- Praecipitatio – falling – cloud whose precipitation reaches the ground
- Radiatus – radiant – parallel lines converging at a central point, often cirrus
- Tuba – like a trumpet – column hanging from the bottom of cumulus
- Translucidus – transparent – translucent patch or sheet
- Undulatus – wavy – cloud displaying an undulating pattern
- Velum - a ship’s sail – sail-like in appearance
- Vertebratus – skeletal and bone like – cirrus arranged to look like bones or skeleton
- Virga – stick or branch – precipitation that does not reach the ground
Storm Clouds
Clouds associated with the development and duration of storms
- Accessory Cloud – cloud that is attached to and develops on body of main cloud
- Anvil – the top flatter part of a cumulonimbus cloud
- Anvil Dome – the overshooting top on a CB that is often present on a supercell
- Anvil Rollover – (slang) circular protrusion attached to underside of anvil
- Back-sheared Anvil – (slang) anvil that spreads upwind, indicative of extreme weather
- Cloud tags – ragged detached portions of cloud
- Collar Cloud – rare ring shape surrounding upper part of wall cloud
- Cumulus – heaped clouds
- Cumulus arcus – arch or a bow shape, attached to cumulus, thick with ragged edges
- Cumulus congestus – moderate development and heaped into cauliflower shapes
- Cumulus fractus – ragged detached portions of cumulus cloud
- Cumulus humilis - small, low, flattened cumulus, early development
- Cumulus Mediocris - medium-sized cumulus with small bulges at the top
- Cumulus pannus - shredded sections attached to main cumulus cloud
- Cumulus pileus - capped – hood shaped cumulus cloud
- Cumulus praecipitatio - cumulus whose precipitation reaches the ground
- Cumulus radiatus – cumulus arranged in parallel lines
- Cumulus tuba - column hanging from the bottom of cumulus
- Cumulus velum - cumulus displaying an undulating pattern
- Cumulonimbus – rare cloud similar to mammatus, attached to underside of CB
- Cumulonimbus – heaped towering rain-bearing clouds that stretch to the upper levels
- Cumulonimbus arcus - arch or a bow shape, attached to cumulonimbus
- Cumulonimbus calvus – cumulonimbus whose upper parts have lost their shape
- Cumulonimbus capillatus - CB whose upper parts have taken on a cirrus-like form
- Cumulonimbus incus – CB with anvil aloft
- Cumulonimbus mammutus - pouch-like protrusions that hang from under an anvil
- Cumulonimbus pannus - shredded sections attached to main CB cloud
- Cumulonimbus pileus - capped – hood shaped cumulonimbus cloud
- Cumulonimbus praecipitatio - CB whose precipitation reaches the ground
- Cumulonimbus spissatus - cumulonimbus with a thick grey appearance
- Cumulonimbus tuba - column hanging from the bottom of cumulonimbus
- Cumulonimbus velum - cumulonimbus displaying an undulating pattern
- Debris cloud – rotating ‘cloud’ of debris found at base of tornado
- Funnel cloud – rotating funnel of cloud hanging from under CB, not making contact with ground
- Knuckle Cloud – lumpy protrusion that hangs from edge or underside of anvil
- Roll Cloud – elongated, low-level, tube shaped, horizontal cloud
- Rope Cloud – narrow, sometimes twisted funnel type cloud seen after tornado dissipates
- Scud Cloud – ragged detached portions of cloud
- Shelf Cloud – wedge shaped cloud often attached to the underside of CB
- Wall Cloud – distinctive fairly large lowering of the rain free base of a CB, often rotating
External links
- [S'COOL Cloud Types Tutorial]
- [Cloud Appreciation Society]
- [Texas A&M Cloud Glossary]
- [Very good cloud-identification site]
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