Clouds

1. Clouds A brief guide on clouds types, cloud observing, and time.

2. Have you ever looked at clouds and wondered if they had names? • Luke Howard did over 200 years ago. • He decided that clouds could be classified into three main categories. • He used Latin to name the clouds.

3. Three main cloud types • Cirrus (Latin for Curl) • means hair and describes wispy looking clouds. This term is also used to describe high level clouds • Cumulus (Latin for heap) • means pile and describes heaped, lumpy clouds • Stratus (Latin for layer) • means layer and describes clouds that form in sheets and do not have any unique features http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/

4. (Wispy, Horse tail) Cirrus Stratus (Layered, Flat) Cumulus (Cotton Ball)

5. You’ve learned the basic types of clouds…let’s get go on to deluxe clouds. • Nimbus (Latin for Rain) • use this term only when a cloud actually produces precipitation • Alto • describes mid-level clouds Pictures from http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/

6. Let’s combine names. • Cirrocumulus • Can best be described as a high cloud that resembles fish scales http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/

7. (Wispy, Horse tail) Cirrus Cirrocumulus (Fish Scale) Stratus (Layered, Flat) Cumulus (Cotton Ball)

8. Let’s combine names. • Stratocumulus • Best described as a cloud accident or puffy bottoms http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/

9. (Wispy, Horse tail) Cirrus Cirrocumulus (Fish Scale) Stratus (Layered, Flat) Stratocumulus (Puffy bottoms, cloud accident) Cumulus (Cotton Ball)

10. Let’s combine names. • Nimbostratus • Looks like a stratus cloud but it is producing precipitation http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/

11. (Wispy, Horse tail) Cirrus Cirrocumulus (Fish Scale) Stratus (Layered, Flat) Cumulus (Cotton Ball) Stratocumulus (Puffy bottoms, cloud accident) Nimbostratus (low blanket with lots of rain)

12. Let’s combine names. • Altocumulus • Mid-level cloud • Described as flocks of sheep or streets of clouds • Altostratus • Mid-level cloud • Light gray layer • Light behind the clouds Pictures from http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/

13. (Wispy, Horse tail) Cirrus Cirrocumulus (Fish Scale) Altostratus (Light grey, light behind clouds) Altocumulus (Streets of clouds, flock of sheep) Stratus (Layered, Flat) Cumulus (Cotton Ball) Stratocumulus (Puffy bottoms, cloud accident) Nimbostratus (low blanket with lots of rain)

14. Let’s combine names. • Cirrostratus • High-level cloud • Thin veil of clouds • Produces a sun or moon halo

15. (Wispy, Horse tail) Cirrus Cirrostratus (Thin, veil,sun/moon halo) Cirrocumulus (Fish Scale) Altostratus (Light grey, light behind clouds) Altocumulus (Streets of clouds, flock of sheep) Cumulus (Cotton Ball) Stratus (Layered, Flat) Stratocumulus (Puffy bottoms, cloud accident) Nimbostratus (low blanket with lots of rain)

16. Let’s combine names. • Cumulonimbus • Thunderclouds • Storm makers • Produce lightening and thunder http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/

17. (Wispy, Horse tail) Cirrus Cirrostratus (Thin, veil,sun/moon halo) Cirrocumulus (Fish Scale) Altostratus (Light grey, light behind clouds) Altocumulus (Streets of clouds, flock of sheep) Cumulus (Cotton Ball) Stratus (Layered, Flat) Stratocumulus (Puffy bottoms, cloud accident) Nimbostratus (low blanket with lots of rain) Cumulonimbus (Thunderstorm clouds)

18. Man-made clouds • Contrails • Short for condensation trails. • Made by airplanes • 3 types • Short lived • Persistent • Persistent • Spreading Pictures from http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/

19. (Wispy, Horse tail) Cirrus Cirrostratus (Thin, veil,sun/moon halo) Cirrocumulus (Fish Scale) Altocumulus (Streets of clouds, flock of sheep) Altostratus (Light grey, light behind clouds) Stratus (Layered, Flat) Cumulus (Cotton Ball) Stratocumulus (Puffy bottoms, cloud accident) Nimbostratus (low blanket with lots of rain) Cumulonimbus (Thunderstorm clouds) Contrails Short-lived Persistent Persistent Spreading

20. Cloud Cover 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Imagine this picture represents a certain number of clouds in the sky ! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/ 100 http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/

21. Now Guess! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 How Many ? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Be ready with an answer in 5 seconds ! http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/

22. What is your answer ? Write your guess down your white board and hold it up high. Print Large ! http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/

23. LET’S OBSERVE! Let’s make an observation on what we see on this beautiful day! What cloud types are present? What’s the percentage of cloud cover? How much light penetrates the clouds? http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/

24. Time Terms • Local Standard Time • The time established for a region by law, or general use - it's the time you see on a correctly set clock, if you're not in daylight savings time (summer)

25. Time Terms • 24 hour Time or Military Time • In military time, the hours are numbered from 00 to 23. • Under this system, midnight is 00, 1 a.m. is 01, 1 p.m. is 13, and so on. • Try it: 2:30 pm • An event occurs on Wednesday at 0001 PST. This translates to one minute past midnight PST on Wednesday morning. • 6:11 a.m. is the same as 0611 (or 06:11) military time. • 13:17:42 military time is the same as forty-two seconds past 1:17 in the afternoon.

26. Time Terms • Universal Time or What time is it in Greenwich, England • Standard time at longitude = 0 (the longitude line which goes through Greenwich, England) which is used as a standard around the world to assist in synchronizing data collection.

27. Time Terms • Universal Time Offset and Conversion • Current Universal Time (UT): 21:04 • Write down current local time: ___h ___m 2. Add 7 hours (We are 7 hours behind UT) ____h ____ m 3. Convert to 24 hour clock: ___h ___m