In meteorology, a cloud is a visible mass of liquid droplets or frozen crystals made of wateror

various chemicals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of a planetary body.[1]These
suspended particles are also known as aerosols and are studied in the cloud physicsbranch
of meteorology.
Terrestrial cloud formation is the result of air in Earth's atmosphere becoming saturated due to
either or both of two processes; cooling of the air and adding water vapor. With sufficient
saturation, precipitation will fall to the surface; an exception is virga, which evaporates before
reaching the surface.
Clouds in the troposphere, the atmospheric layer closest to Earth's surface, have Latinnames due
to the universal adaptation of Luke Howard's nomenclature. It was introduced in December 1802
and became the basis of a modern international system that classifies these tropospheric
aerosols into several physical forms or categories, then cross-classifies them
into families of low, middle and highaccording to cloud-base altitude range above Earth's
surface. Clouds with significant vertical extent are often considered a separate family. One
physical form shows free-convective upward growth into low or vertical heaps of cumulus. Other
forms appear as non-convective layered sheets like low stratus, and as limitedconvective rolls or ripples as with stratocumulus. Both of these layered forms have middle- and
high-family variants identified respectively by the prefixes alto- and cirro-. Thin
fibrous wisps of cirrus are a physical form found only at high altitudes. In the case of clouds with
vertical extent, prefixes are used whenever necessary to express variations or complexities in
their physical structures. These include cumulo- for complex highly convective
vertical nimbus storm clouds, andnimbo- for thick stratiform layers with sufficient vertical depth to
produce moderate to heavy precipitation. This process of cross-classification produces ten basic
genus-types or genera, most of which can be subdivided into species and varieties.
Synoptic surface weather observations use code numbers to record and report any type of
tropospheric cloud visible at scheduled observation times based on its height and physical
appearance.
While a majority of clouds form in Earth's troposphere, there are occasions when they can be
observed at much higher altitudes in thestratosphere and mesosphere. Clouds that form above
the troposphere have common names for their main types, but are sub-classifiedalphanumerically rather than with the elaborate system of Latin names given to cloud types in the
troposphere. These three main atmospheric layers that can produce clouds, along with the lowest
part of the cloudless thermosphere, are collectively known as thehomosphere. Above this lies
the heterosphere (which includes the rest of the thermosphere and the exosphere) that marks the
transition to outer space. Clouds have been observed on other planets and moons within
the Solar System, but, due to their different temperature characteristics, they are composed of
other substances such as methane, ammonia, and sulfuric acid.
Ten Major Cloud Types

Weather

Partly to Mostly Cloudy

Moisture and Humidity

In the Clouds
Ten Major Cloud Types
Forecasting by Clouds

In biblical times, Job asked, "Can any understand the spreadings of the clouds?" We're certainly
still trying. In modern times, we understand that clouds represent the basic building blocks to our
weather. The foundation consists of 10 major cloud types. In addition to cirrus, stratus, cumulus,
and nimbus clouds, there are cirrostratus, cirrocumulus, altostratus, altocumulus, stratocumulus,
nimbostratus, and cumulonimbus clouds. The following table places these cloud types into the
four major cloud groups.
Major Cloud Groups
Cloud Group
High clouds

Cloud Type
Cirrus
Cirrostratus
Cirrocumulus
Middle clouds
Altostratus
Altocumulus
Low clouds
Stratus
Stratocumulus
Nimbostratus
Clouds with vertical development Cumulus
Cumulonimbus
Weather-Watch
The earliest sky watchers said, "Mackerel sky and mare's tails make lofty ships carry low sails."
The mare's tails are the cirrus clouds, which, combined with cirrocumulus, often indicate the
approach of wind and rain, thus it's time for the low sails. Other variations include, "Mackerel
scales, furl your sails," and, "A mackerel sky, not 24 hours dry."
High Clouds
These clouds are found at elevations of 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) and higher. The cold air at
these elevations causes the small cloud droplets to freeze into ice crystals. Actually, because the
droplets are so small, they can exist in liquid form below 32 degrees, and are called supercooled.
The ice crystals act as prisms and cause light to separate into its many colors. High clouds can
deliver some spectacular optical effects, including a red sky in the morning and at night. Cirrus
clouds are in this grouping and are joined by cirrostratus clouds, which appear as thin sheets
across the sky. The thin, feathery cirrus clouds thicken to form cirrostratus. The sun or the moon
will shine through cirrostratus and often form a halo. Cirrus clouds can also thicken into small,
rounded cotton-ball-like masses, the cirrocumulus clouds. Sometimes these look like scales of a
fish, so a sky filled with cirrocumulus is called a "mackerel sky." When a storm advances, these
high clouds are first to arrive. They are great clues to impending weather changes.
Warm air often streams ahead of storms. This warm, less dense air is forced to rise over colder
surface air. That warmer air can extend a thousand miles from a particular storm center, and as it
rises to great heights, it cools and forms the high clouds. First those thin, wispy cirrus clouds
appear. Then they thicken to cirrostratus and cirrocumulus. At that point, halos and rings form
around the sun and moon and storms can be just 24 hours away. Later, as the storm grows
closer, the clouds thicken and begin to lower.
Middle Clouds

Generally speaking, middle clouds form at elevations ranging from about 6,500 feet (2,000
meters) to 20,000 feet (6,000 meters). Because these clouds are lower than the high-flying type,
they can consist of both water droplets and ice crystals. The "alto" clouds fall in this
category: altostratus and altocumulus.
The altostratus clouds are similar to cirrostratus except that they are thicker and lower. More of
the sun or moon will be obscured. Unlike cirrostratus, these clouds do not produce halos and
obscure enough light to produce few, if any, shadows on the ground.
Weather Words
There is a proverb that says "Every cloud has a silver lining."
Likewise, altocumulus clouds are thicker and lower versions of cirrocumulus. The tiny cotton ball
appearance thickens into larger round masses. Because of the thickness, the sky appears gray
rather than white. After the high cirrus clouds give way to this middle group of clouds, we know
that rain is only a few hours away.
Low Clouds
These clouds form at elevations below 6,500 feet (2,000 meters) and consist mostly of water,
except during the winter when snow becomes a possibility. Stratus clouds, which are the fog
clouds, fall into this category. When low stratus clouds begin to deliver rain, they are
called nimbostratus. This cloud is dark, gray, and appears flat at the base. The storm has arrived
when nimbostratus appears. The precipitation is steady, not showery. Usually, the rain will come
down at a light to moderate rate, and it will last a good part of the day, or even longer. When
nimbostratus appears, it's time to curl up with a big, thick Russian novel.
Sometimes, stratus clouds form rounded, puffy masses, and these clouds are
called stratocumulus. These differ from altocumulus because there are larger round masses, and
can make the sky appear very dark and ominous. These clouds are the most difficult to determine
whenever I can't exactly figure out what a particular cloud is, it turns out to be stratocumulus. It
can be confused with other low cloud types. Stratocumulus will often form when a stratus layer is
heated, and the atmosphere begins to overturn. That process of overturning from heating is
called convection. It becomes an important factor in the next category of clouds.
Foggy Notions
First, though, let's look at a unique cousin of the cloud. Fog is a form of stratus cloud. Although all
fog can creep along on little cat feet, many types of fog exist.
The basic mechanism that causes fog is simply anything that can bring the relative humidity up to
100 percent. Usually, when the air cools to the dew point, fog will roll in. That cooling may occur
during a clear, calm night. The accumulated heat of the day will radiate from the earth, and the
temperature near the ground cools. It could cool all the way down to the dew point. That type of
fog is called radiation fog because it is brought about by radiational coolingby cooling caused
by the radiating of heat from the ground. This type of fog frequently forms in valleys, because
there the wind has the best chance of being light. If the wind is gusty, that type of fog will not form
because the atmosphere remains mixed, and will not likely cool as easily to the dew point.
Weather Words
"When clouds appear like rocks and towers,
The earth's refreshed by frequent showers.
When mountains and cliffs in the clouds appear,
Some sudden and violent showers are near."
G. Herbert

Another type of fog occurs when warm air is brought over a colder surface. The warm air will be
cooled on contact with the colder surface, and as its temperature lowers to the dew point, fog will
develop. This fog often appears during a winter thaw when warm air streams over a frozen or
snow-covered surface. Fog is often said to be a great snow-eater. But it doesn't come along and
chomp away at the snow. The warm air, which contributes to the fog, melts the snow away.
Fog that develops over the ocean and in coastal areas often forms in a similar way. Warm air
streams over a colder ocean surface. As soon as the air is cooled to its dew point, fog will shroud
the ocean surface and adjacent shores. If the air is tropical with plenty of water vapor and a high
dew point, it will not take much to cool it to its dew point. (Of course, if the water is cold, that also
helps.) Early summer is a favorite time for coastal fog. This entire fog category is called advection
fog because warm air is advected, or brought to, colder regions.
Clouds with Vertical Development
So far, we have looked at clouds that can be found at specific levels of the atmosphere. There are
others that can be found extending through all elevations. These are the ones associated with
strong upward atmospheric currents. These updrafts spread the moisture through a large column
of the atmosphere, and the clouds appear to have a puffy, even tower-like structure. Convection
plays a big role in delivering these updrafts. In fact, these clouds are often called convective
clouds. The rain that falls from them is frequently referred to as convective precipitation. Just like
a boiling pot of water, the atmosphere can cook on a hot summer's day, causing these convective
clouds to appear. The precipitation is often heavy, but not necessarily long-lasting. As they say,
"The sharper the rain, the shorter the shower."
The basic cumulus clouds fall into this category. Sometimes these puffy clouds are limited in
vertical development. They look innocent enough and take on different shapes. These are fairweather clouds. Just the normal heating of the day is enough to set the stage for these clouds to
pop up overhead. But on other occasions, the upward motions are large, and the cumulus clouds
develop towers, which can cluster and grow into a full-blown thunderstorm within an hour. Those
towering cumulus clouds that deliver rain, lightning, and thunder are called cumulonimbus. They
can extend from just a few thousand feet above the ground to levels of 50,000 feet or higher. The
bigger they grow, the more violent the weather becomes. Hail will often fall from these clouds.
Even tornadoes are possible when cumulonimbus clouds appear.

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