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Formation of Clouds

Formation of Clouds. How do clouds form?. CLOUDS. Cirrus Stratus Cumulus Nimbus. Cirrus Clouds. High-level clouds Usually only ice crystals Generally in fair weather. Stratus Clouds. Base is usually only a few hundred feet above the ground Little to no vertical development

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Formation of Clouds

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  1. Formation of Clouds www.assignmentpoint.com

  2. How do clouds form? www.assignmentpoint.com

  3. CLOUDS • Cirrus • Stratus • Cumulus • Nimbus www.assignmentpoint.com

  4. Cirrus Clouds • High-level clouds • Usually only ice crystals • Generally in fair weather www.assignmentpoint.com

  5. Stratus Clouds • Base is usually only a few hundred feet above the ground • Little to no vertical development • Can cover entire sky www.assignmentpoint.com

  6. Cumulus Clouds • Base is at low level, but tops can reach 60,000 feet (11 miles) high • Made of both ice and water droplets • Puffy like cotton balls www.assignmentpoint.com

  7. Nimbus Clouds • Generally form 7,000 to 15,000 feet (1 to 3 miles) above ground • Steady precipitation www.assignmentpoint.com

  8. PRECIPITATION Two basic ways precipitation forms: • “Collision” process (warm clouds) • “Ice Crystal” process (cold clouds) www.assignmentpoint.com

  9. “Collision” Process www.assignmentpoint.com

  10. “Ice Crystal” Process Easier for water vapor to deposit directly onto ice crystals. Crystals then grow heavy enough to start falling. www.assignmentpoint.com

  11. Rain or Snow?? www.assignmentpoint.com

  12. THUNDERSTORMS • Moisture • Instability • Lifting In order to form, thunderstorms need: www.assignmentpoint.com

  13. Mid and upper-level moisture can arrive from the Pacific. Low-level moisture comes from the Gulf of Mexico. www.assignmentpoint.com

  14. INSTABILITY • If air is stable, it will try to go back to where it was • If air is unstable, it will continue in the direction it was pushed www.assignmentpoint.com

  15. LIFT • Differences in heating • Terrain • Fronts, boundaries, drylines www.assignmentpoint.com

  16. The three stages in a thunderstorm’s life: www.assignmentpoint.com

  17. Thunderstorm Hazards • Hail • Damaging Winds • Tornados • Flash Floods www.assignmentpoint.com

  18. HAIL www.assignmentpoint.com

  19. DAMAGING WINDS Damage from a tornado Damage from a downburst www.assignmentpoint.com

  20. TORNADOS F-Scale • Named after its creator, Dr. Fujita • Used to describe how fast winds in a tornado are • Actually goes all the way to F12, which is the speed of sound www.assignmentpoint.com

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  23. Minimal Tornado - F0, F1 - 67% of S.C. TX Tornadoes - Causes 5% of all deaths - Life span 1 to 2 minutes - Path length less than 1 mile - Path width less than 100 yards - Wind speeds up to 110 mph www.assignmentpoint.com

  24. Strong Tornado • - F2, F3 • - 30% of S.C. TX Tornadoes • - Causes 30% of all deaths • Life span 15 to 20 minutes • Path up to 15 miles • - Path width up to 500 yards • - Wind speeds up to 200 mph www.assignmentpoint.com

  25. Violent Tornado - F4, F5 - 3% of S.C. TX Tornadoes - Causes 65% of all deaths - Life span to several hours - Path length dozens of miles - Path width to 1 1/ 2 miles - Wind speeds over 300 mph www.assignmentpoint.com

  26. Jarrell, TX — May 27, 1997 www.assignmentpoint.com

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