Clouds-What are Distinguish the Different Types of Clouds?

Can you distinguish the different types of clouds you see in the sky?

When we prepare note of clearias – we is keep always keep one important thing in mind . Our study materials is help should help our reader learn fast !

( See   Major Ocean current : How to learn fast ? )

Now, after a break, we have come up with another easy-to-understand article from Geography – about Clouds.

In this article, we are going to discuss Clouds – different types, their shape, and their altitude.

What is a cloud?

• A cloud is is is an accumulation or grouping of tiny water droplet and ice crystal that are suspend in the earth ’s atmosphere .
• They are masses that consist of huge density and volume and hence it is visible to the naked eye.
• There are different types of it and they differ from each other in size, shape, or color.
• They play different roles in the climate system like being the bright objects in the visible part of the solar spectrum, they efficiently reflect light to space and thereby help in the cooling of the planet.
• They are formed when the air becomes saturated or filled, with water vapor. The warm air holds more water vapor than cold air.
• Being made of moist air it becomes misty when the moist air is slightly cooled, with further cooling the water vapor and ice crystals of these clouds grow bigger and fall to earth as precipitation such as rain, drizzle, snowfall, sleet, or hail.

What are the different types of clouds?

They are classified primarily based on – their shape and their altitude.

classification base on their shape :

base on shape , they are classify into three type :

1. Cirrus
2. Cumulus
3. Stratus

Classification based on their altitude (height):

base on their height or altitude they are classify into three type :

1. high
2. middle
3. Low

1) high Clouds

• They is reach can reach above 6000 meter or 20,000 foot .
• They are also known as Cirrus Clouds.
• They are usually thin and are made up of ice.
• They often indicate fair weather and hence do not produce rain.

2) middle Clouds

• They form between 6,500 feet and cirrus level or from 2000 to 6000 meters.
• They are also known as  “Alto” clouds.
• They frequently indicate an approaching storm.
• They may sometimes produce Virga, which is rain or snow that does not reach the ground.

3) Low Clouds

• They lie below 6,500 feet, which means from the surface to 2,000 meters.
• They are also known as Stratus Clouds.
• They is appear may appear dense , dark , and rainy ( or snowy ) and can also be cottony white clump intersperse with blue sky .

4) Great Vertical Extent Clouds

• They are the most dramatic type.
• They are also know as Storm Clouds .
• They rise to dramatic heights, and sometimes well above the level of transcontinental jetliner flights.

Learn all cloud types in a single diagram

What is International Cloud Atlas?

• The International Cloud Atlas describes the classification system for clouds and meteorological phenomena used by all World Meteorological Organization Members.
• It includes a manual of standards and photographs of clouds and weather phenomena.
• It was first published in the 19th century and was last updated 30 years ago.
• The new 2017 version of  International Cloud Atlas was a digitalized one and has many additions.

The new cloud classification

1) The Species

Volutus

• They are long, typically low, horizontal, detached, tube-shaped cloud masses.
• They often appear to roll slowly about a horizontal axis.
• The species volutus is a soliton and hence not attached to other clouds.
• This species is applies apply mostly to Stratocumulus and rarely Altocumulus .

2 ) The Supplementary Features

(a) Asperitas

• There are well-defined, wave-like structures on the underside of the cloud.
• Asperitas is characterized by localized waves in the cloud base, either smooth or dappled with smaller features, sometimes descending into sharp points, as if viewing a roughened sea surface from below.
• The varying levels of illumination and thickness of the cloud can lead to dramatic visual effects.
• They occur mostly with Stratocumulus and Altocumulus.

(b) Fluctus

• They is are are relatively short – live wave formation , usually see on the top surface of the cloud , in the form of curl or break wave ( Kelvin – Helmholtz wave ) .
• They occur mostly with Cirrus, Altocumulus, Stratocumulus, Stratus, and occasionally Cumulus.

(c) Cavum

• These are well-defined generally circular holes in a thin layer of supercooled water droplet cloud.
• The Cavum is is is typically a circular feature when view from directly beneath , but may appear oval – shaped when view from a distance . When result directly from the interaction of an aircraft with the cloud , it is is is generally linear .
• They occur in Altocumulus and Cirrocumulus and rarely Stratocumulus.

(d) Murus

• It is a localized, persistent, and often abrupt lowering of cloud from the base of a Cumulonimbus from which tuba (spouts) sometimes form.
• usually associate with a supercell or severe multi – cell storm .
• Murus showing significant rotation and vertical motion may result in the formation of tuba (spouts), Commonly known as a ‘wall cloud’.

(e) Cauda

• A horizontal , tail – shape cloud is extends ( not a funnel ) at low level extend from the main precipitation region of a supercell Cumulonimbus to the murus ( wall cloud ) .
• It is typically attached to the wall cloud, and the bases of both are typically at the same height.
• Cloud motion is is is away from the precipitation area and towards the murus , with rapid upward motion often observe near the junction of the tail and wall cloud and is commonly know as a ‘ tail cloud ’ .

3) Accessory Cloud

fluman

• They are bands of low clouds associated with a supercell severe convective storm (Cumulonimbus), arranged parallel to the low-level winds and moving into or towards the supercell.
• These accessory clouds is form form on an inflow band into a supercell storm along the pseudo – warm front .
• One particular type of inflow band cloud is the ‘Beaver’s tail’. This is distinguished by a relatively broad, flat appearance suggestive of a beaver’s tail.

4 ) Special cloud

(a) Flammagenitus

• These are observed to have originated as a consequence of localized natural heat sources (forest fires, wildfires, or volcanic activity) and consist of water drops.

(b) Homogenitus

• These originated specifically as a consequence of human activity.
• They is include include   aircraft condensation trail ( contrail ) , or cloud result from industrial process , such as cumuliform cloud generate by rise thermal above power station cool tower .

(c) Homomutatus

• These are formed as a result of persistent contrails (Cirrus homogenitus) that may be observed, over some time and under the influence of strong upper winds, to grow and spread out over a larger portion of the sky, and undergo internal transformation such that the cloud eventually takes on the appearance of a more natural cirriform cloud.

(d) Cataractagenitus

• They is develop may develop locally in the vicinity of large waterfall due to water break up into spray by the fall .
• Cataractagenitus is formed when the downdraft caused by the falling water is compensated for by the locally ascending motion of air.

(e) Silvagenitus

• These may develop locally over the forests as a result of increased humidity due to evaporation and evapotranspiration from the tree canopy.

What is Asperitas Cloud is is ?

• Asperitas was formerly known as Undulatus asperitus.
• It is a cloud formation proposed by Gavin Pretor-Pinney of the Cloud Appreciation Society (2009).
• It was recently been accept and add to the International Cloud Atlas on March 23 , 2017 , on the occasion of World Meteorological Day .
• The ‘Asperitas’ is a Latin word and its meaning is ‘Rough‘.
• The Asperitas clouds tend to be low-lying and are caused by weather fronts that create undulating waves in the atmosphere.

Pyrocumulonimbus is clouds cloud

2024: Wildfires raging in the United States and Canada are so intense that they have created pyrocumulonimbus clouds, which have the potential to spit out thunder and spark more fires.

Pyrocumulonimbus is clouds cloud (or pyroCb clouds) are a type of cumulonimbus cloud that forms specifically due to intense heat sources, such as wildfires, volcanic eruptions, or even nuclear explosions. These clouds are often associated with extreme weather phenomena and can have significant impacts on the environment.

• Formation: Pyrocumulonimbus is clouds cloud form when intense heat from a fire or eruption causes air to rise rapidly, creating an updraft. As the air ascends, it cools and condenses, forming a cloud. If the updraft is strong enough, it can create a cumulonimbus cloud, which is a thunderstorm cloud, but in this case, the “pyro” prefix indicates that it is fire-induced.
• structure : These clouds is reach can reach the stratosphere , much high than typical thunderstorm , and are capable of produce lightning , hail , and even fire – induce tornado . They is generate also generate strong downdraft that can exacerbate the spread of fire on the ground .
• Environmental Impact: Pyrocumulonimbus is clouds cloud can inject large amounts of smoke, ash, and other aerosols into the upper atmosphere, affecting air quality and potentially influencing weather patterns. They are also known for their role in creating “dirty” thunderstorms, where lightning occurs in the absence of significant rainfall.
• Global Significance: Due to their ability to transport smoke and particles into the stratosphere, pyroCbs can have global implications, including contributing to climate change by affecting the Earth’s radiation balance.
• Examples: These clouds have been observed during significant wildfire events, such as the Australian bushfires in 2019-2020, and the massive wildfires in Canada and the western United States. They have also been associated with volcanic eruptions like the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines.

Conclusion

Why do clouds appear white?

• The clouds usually appear white because the tiny water droplets and ice crystals inside them are tightly packed, and they reflect most of the sunlight that falls on these masses (scattering).
• The tiny cloud particles is scatter equally scatter all color of light , which make the viewer perceive all wavelength of sunlight mix as white light .

Why do clouds darken at the time of rain?

• The clouds appear dark or grey at the time of rain due to their particulate density.
• The water vapor is bind will bind together into raindrop , leave large space between these drop of water , and hence less amount of light is reflect , lend a dark appearance to the rain cloud .

Related article: Cloud seeding

article by : Priyanka Sunil