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Basic Cloud Types

Basic Cloud Types. What type(s) of clouds are pictured here?. High Clouds:. Middle Clouds:. Low Clouds:. Clouds are classified by what vertical level their bases (or bottoms) form at:. Low Clouds:. Low clouds can be on the ground (fog) to ~6,000’ above the surface. 6,000 ft above ground.

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Basic Cloud Types

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  1. Basic Cloud Types What type(s) of clouds are pictured here?

  2. High Clouds: Middle Clouds: Low Clouds: Clouds are classified by what vertical level their bases (or bottoms) form at:

  3. Low Clouds: • Low clouds can be on the ground (fog) to ~6,000’ above the surface. 6,000 ft above ground • Five low cloud types: • Cumulus • Stratus and Fog • Stratocumulus • Nimbostratus • Cumulonimbus Lyndon State Green Mountains

  4. Cumulus Stratus: Layered or flat looking and grayish Stratus Cumulus: Heaped or lumpy looking, most commonly portrayed type in art, film

  5. Stratocumulus Fog: when a stratus cloud touches the ground Fog Stratocumulus: looks both lumpy and layered, flatter than cumulus but more lumpy than stratus

  6. Nimbostratus Cumulonimbus: a cumulus cloud that has precipitation falling from it and reaching the ground Cumulonimbus Nimbostratus: a stratus cloud that's precipitating – rain and/or snow is falling from the cloud and reaching the ground *Nimbus = precipitating

  7. Green Mountains Middle Clouds: • Middle clouds can extend from ~6,000’ to ~20,000’ above • the surface. ~20,000 ft above ground • Two basic middle cloud types “Alto” prefix: • Altocumulus • Altostratus 6,000 ft above ground Lyndon State

  8. Altocumulus Altostratus: layered and flat, but higher than stratus Altostratus Altocumulus: look like cotton balls, about the size of your fist or smaller if you extend your arm and look towards them

  9. ~20,000 ft above ground ~40,000 ft above ground High Clouds: • High clouds can extend from ~20,000’ to 40,000’ above the surface. • Three basic high cloud types “cirro” prefix: • Cirrus • Cirrostratus • Cirrocumulus 6,000 ft above ground Lyndon State

  10. Cirrus Cirrostratus: wispy - especially on the edges, flat and fairly white, organized in sheets or layers Cirrostratus Cirrus: appear wispy in pieces or small patches, not organized in sheets

  11. Cirrocumulus: fairly rare, look like small cotton balls, about the size of your pinky when you extend your arm and look at the cloud elements. Cirrocumulus

  12. Contrail Special Clouds • Contrail: short for “condensation trail” – forms when water from air plane • exhaust forms clouds behind the plane Lenticular: type of mid-level cloud Produced by airflow over terrain, frequently mistaken for UFOs Lenticular

  13. Lenticulars over the Salt Lake Valley

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