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Clouds form as water vapor in the air turns into liquid water or ice crystals when air cools. Particles like salt crystals, dust, and smoke provide surfaces for condensation. Three main cloud types are cumulus, stratus, and cirrus, each with distinct characteristics. Cumulus clouds indicate fair weather, stratus clouds form in layers and may bring precipitation, while cirrus clouds appear as wispy, icy formations at high altitudes. Clouds that develop at ground level are known as fog.
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How Clouds Form • Clouds form when water vapor in the air becomes liquid water or ice crystals. • As air cools, the amount of water vapor it can hold decreases. Some of the water vapor in the air condenses to form droplets of liquid water.
How Clouds Form • For water vapor to condense, tiny particles must be present so the water has a surface on which to condense. • Most of these particles are salt crystals, dust from soil, and smoke.
There are three types of clouds • Cumulus • Stratus • Cirrus
Cumulus • The word cumulus means heap or mass. • Cumulus clouds usually mean fair weather. • They form less than 2 kilometers above the ground.
Stratus clouds • Stratus clouds form in flat layers. • They usually cover all or most of the sky. • As they thicken, they may produce drizzle, rain or snow. • Strato is the Latin word for spread out.
Cirrus Clouds • Wispy, feathery clouds are called cirrus. • Cirrus clouds form at high levels where temperatures are very low. • Cirrus clouds are made of ice crystals.
Fog • Clouds that form at or near the ground are called fog.
