Modu|e - 8

What |s C|oud?
A v|s|b|e aggregate of m|nute
part|c|es of matter ||qu|d
water or |ce or both |n the
free a|r

Assemb|y of t|ny drop|ets
number|ng severa| 100 cm-3

Average rad|| about 10


1ypes of c|ouds
noward, 1803 c|ass|f|ed the c|ouds depend|ng upon the|r
appearance & the reg|ons where they form.

ne categor|zed four bas|c types of c|ouds four Lat|n names

- Cumu|us neap ] ||e

- Stratus A |ayer

- C|rrus - Cur|y f||ament of ha|r ] f|brous

- N|mbus - rec|p|tat|ng
Cumu|us
uffy appearance, |arge
cotton ba||s or
cau||f|ower ||ke
I|at base, rounded top

Convect|ve c|ouds

Iorm |n warm & mo|st
env|ronments

S|ze depends on the strength of updrafts

Can have more vert|ca| extent
Stratus
"#$%& '()*+,

"#&-% .)&/0)12#( %32%12

41/5)&67 -&#$

4,*#(($ 1)
8&%'/8/2#2/)17 9*2 (/-.2
6/,2:+&/00(% 8),,/9(%

C|rrus
I|brous appearance

n|gh a|t|tude c|ouds

Most|y composed of |ce
crysta|s

Very th|n c|ouds
N|mbus
;%%8 '()*+,
<#/1 '()*+,

C|ouds are a|so c|ass|f|ed accord|ng to the|r a|t|tude of appearance

Stage o|ar m|d-|at|tude 1rop|ca|

n|gh 3 4 km S 13 km 6 18 km

M|dd|e 2 - 4 km 2 7 km 2 8 km

Low up to 2 km -do- -do-


C|ouds w|th vert|ca| growth Cumu|us and Cumu|on|mbus
N|mbo- and -n|mbus pref|x]suff|x Denotes prec|p|tat|on
C|oud c|ass|f|cat|on (based on he|ght)
I|rst part of the name pref|xes -- ne|ght
Lx : C|rro h|gh c|ouds, A|to m|dd|e |eve|
c|ouds

No pref|xes for |ow |eve| c|ouds

Second part of the name Shapes
Lx : C|rrus, Stratus, Cumu|us

n|gher |eve| c|ouds

1. C|rrus
2. C|rrocumu|us
3. C|rrostratus

M|dd|e |eve| c|ouds

4. A|tocumu|us
S. A|tostratus
6. N|mbostratus

Lower |eve| c|ouds

7. Stratocumu|us
8. Stratus
9. Cumu|us
10. Cumu|on|mbus

Appearance of c|ouds
Determ|ned by the nature, s|ze, number and d|str|but|on of |ts
const|tuent part|c|es |n space

A|so depends on the |ntens|ty and co|our of the ||ght rece|ved by
the c|oud and on the re|at|ve pos|t|ons of the observer

Appearance |s best descr|bed |n terms of d|mens|ons, shape,
structure, texture, |um|nance and co|our of the c|oud

C|oud s|zes are |nf|uenced by many comp|ex factors. 1hose
|nc|ude heat, seasons, mounta|n ranges, bod|es of water, vo|can|c
erupt|ons and even g|oba| warm|ng

Low C|ouds
Stratus
Un|form, gray
kesemb|es fog that does not
reach the ground
Usua||y no prec|p|tat|on, but
||ght m|st]dr|zz|e poss|b|e
Stratocumu|us
Low |umpy c|ouds
8reaks (usua||y) between c|oud
e|ements
Lower base and |arger e|ements
than a|tostratus
N|mbostratus
Dark gray
Cont|nuous ||ght to moderate
ra|n or snow
Lvaporat|ng ra|n be|ow can
form !"#$"%! '#$("%!

=2&#2/5)&6 '()*+ (#$%&,
=2&#2)'*6*(*, '()*+ ,2&%%2,
M|dd|e C|ouds
A|tocumu|us
<1 km th|ck
most|y water drops
Gray, puffy
D|fferences from
c|rrocumu|us
Larger puffs
More dark]||ght contrast

A|tostratus
Gray, b|ue-gray
Cften covers ent|re sky
Sun or moon may show
through d|m|y
Usua||y no shadows
A|tostratus
A|tocumu|us
>/-. ?()*+,
Wh|te |n day,
red]orange]ye||ow at sunr|se
and sunset
Made of |ce crysta|s

C|rrus
1h|n and w|spy
Move west to east
Ind|cate fa|r weather

C|rrocumu|us
Less common than c|rrus
Sma||, rounded wh|te puffs
|nd|v|dua||y or |n |ong rows
(f|sh sca|es, mackere| sky)
C|rrostratus
1h|n and sheet||ke
Sun and moon c|ear|y
v|s|b|e through them
na|o common
Cften precede
prec|p|tat|on
C|rrus
C|rrocumu|us
C|rrostratus
?/&&),2&#2*, @/2. >#()
C|oud coverage (Ccta)
No c|ouds (0]8) C|ear Sky

Up to 2]8 Iew c|oud mass

8etween 3]8 to 4]8 Scattered c|ouds

8etween S]8 to 7]8 8roken c|ouds

8]8 - Cvercast