Wednesday, June 9, 2010

How do clouds form?

Form when air cools below its dew point causing condensation

Stratus


The clouds are horizontal layered clouds that go and stretch like a big blanket across the sky. The height of the stratus cloud is below 2000 meters. It brings drizzles or overcasts. It forms a uniform layer of fog.

Cumulus


The clouds are thick, lumpy and round shaped, cotton balls are very good examples. Most cumulus clouds have rounded tops and the bottom is usually flattened. The cloud usually brings fair weather when they are separated far apart. It is a cloud of vertical development.

Nimbostratus


Dark gray cloud, the cloud’s height is less than 2000 meters, the cloud can be more than 15000 feet thick, and the shape is a lower layer of uniform. It brings light drizzles of rain to moderate rain, or it snows.

Stratocumulus


Stratocumulus Clouds is located below 2,000 meters. The appearance of a stratocumulus clouds are low, lumpy and gray. They cover the entire sky but are thin enough to have a little bit of sun peak through the low layers. Drizzles then light showers come from stratocumulus clouds.

Altocumulus



Altocumulus Clouds are located between 6,500 and 20,000 feet. These types of clouds look like riffles or small ball like puffs. The color of the clouds is pure white. With altocumulus clouds on a warm and humid summer in the morning is commonly followed by thunderstorms later in the day.

Cirrus


Cirrus Clouds is above 7,000 meters in height. They are high and thin clouds that are formed from ice crystals. The ice crystals give the Cirrus Clouds a very white color. The ice crystals are formed from frozen water droplets. Cirrus Clouds come with partly clear skies and sunny weathers.