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Clouds: Types & Formation

Clouds: Types & Formation. Meteorology. Warm moist air rises, expands, and cools in a convection current Air reaches dew point, water vapor in air condenses around small particles in atmosphere (sea salt, dust) Millions of these droplets collect= form clouds

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Clouds: Types & Formation

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  1. Clouds: Types & Formation Meteorology

  2. Warm moist air rises, expands, and cools in a convection current • Air reaches dew point, water vapor in air condenses around small particles in atmosphere (sea salt, dust) • Millions of these droplets collect= form clouds • Clouds can also form from colliding air masses of different temperatures How do clouds form?

  3. Cirrus • Cumulus • Stratus • Nimbus PREFIXES: • Cirro (high clouds with base above 6000 m) • Alto ( middle clouds with base b/w 2000-6000 m) • Strato (low clouds below 2000 m) Types of Clouds

  4. thin, wispy • Most common type of high-level cloud • Made of ice crystals (freezing of water droplets) • Occur in fair weather • Point in direction of air movement Cirrus

  5. “heap” or “pile” • Develop vertically, with clear defined edges • May appear alone, in lines, or in clusters • Puffy and cotton-like in appearance • Considered either low or middle level cloud Cumulus

  6. Form when fog lifts away from Earth’s surface • Can be considered both low and middle level clouds • Uniform, grayish clouds, usually cover entire sky • Look like a layer of fog that never reaches the ground • Precipitation rarely falls from these clouds (light drizzle) Stratus

  7. Large, grayish black in color • Precipitation clouds, carry large amounts of droplets of water • Found at low altitudes • Normally formed due to warm weather conditions • Develop from cumulus clouds, usually tall • Cumulonimbus: clouds that cause thunderstorms (water droplets closely packed) Nimbus

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