We can push the limits of our imagination to the fullest by looking up at the stars at night; The same goes for the clouds that surround our world in daylight and are an integral part of our atmosphere. Clouds, which are basically the same materials, look different from each other depending on the current weather events, although they are actually composed of water droplets or ice crystals floating in the sky. These differences can help us predict weather changes.
So, how do clouds and cloud shapes form, which is one of the natural beauties of the world, where we play games by using our imagination when necessary, which relieves us when we look up when we are bored, or makes us more gloomy, and helps us make weather forecasts, what are the characteristics of these clouds? Let’s see together.
How are clouds formed?
Clouds are basically masses formed by the condensation of water droplets or tiny ice crystals in the air. Since both landforms and weather events play a role in the formation of clouds, it is also possible to obtain information about these factors by observing cloud formations. In the formation process of clouds, water droplets rising from the earth with heat waves play a role. These droplets, which gradually get colder due to reasons such as the natural cooling process that occurs as the altitude (altitude) increases, weather events at high altitudes, low pressure regions or colliding with landforms such as mountains, become visible by condensing when they reach a temperature and pressure level below the dew point of the air. During this condensation, dust particles, pollen and similar particles in the air can act as nuclei and play a role in accelerating the cloud formation process by enabling water drops to gather around them.
Types of clouds we see in the sky and their characteristics:
- High clouds:
- Cirrus
- Cirrocumulus
- Cirrostratus
- Medium clouds:
- Altostratus
- Altocumulus
- Nimbostratus
- Low clouds:
- Cumulus
- Stratus
- Cumulonimbus
- Contrails
- Mammatus
- Orographic
- Lenticular (980070) )
High clouds:
Cloud types called high clouds (over 600 meters) occur above about 20,000 feet and are named with the prefix “cirro”. They occur at high altitudes and do not cast shadows. Clouds at this level are usually composed of ice crystals and appear thin, streaked, and white. They are divided into three main groups as Cirrus, Cirrocumulus and Cirrostratus.
Cirrus: Delicate, furry-looking clouds
Cirrus clouds, which means ponytail, tuft of hair in Latin, are delicate, feathery-looking clouds made up of fine ice grains in the sky. Their thin shapes are formed by wind currents that bend the ice crystals and spread them in strips. These clouds, which we can usually see in calm weather, are thin, long and linear.
Cirrocumulus: They appear in clusters
Cirrocumulus clouds, which means clustered, gathered in Latin, are also composed of ice particles similar to Cirrus clouds. Due to the unicy water particles contained in them, they sometimes appear as fragmented, sheet-like appearances, and sometimes as clumps filled with waves or composed of small grains.
Cirrostratus: Covers the whole sky like a cover
Cirrostratus clouds, which means spread, thinly sprinkled in Latin, cover the whole sky like a cover due to its high amount of water droplets thin, white clouds. This type of cloud, which is mostly seen in winter, is also known as rain or snow herald due to the high amount of moisture it contains. They can also cause a halo around the sun or moon.
Mid-height clouds:
Medium-height clouds (2000-6000 meters), mid-level clouds in the troposphere, prefixed with “Alto”, appear between 6,500 and 20,000 feet. These clouds, which are formed according to the altitude, the time of the year, and the vertical temperature structure of the troposphere, are composed of liquid water droplets, ice crystals or droplets at the level below the freezing point. Mid-level clouds are divided into three as Atostratus, Altocumulus and Nimbostratus.
Altostratus: Heralds of heavy rain
Gray or blue-gray clouds composed of ice crystals and water droplets; these clouds usually cover the entire sky. The water droplets it collects and its closed appearance are the harbingers of heavy rains.
Altocumulus: They form in spring and summer
They are many small, hairy and wavy-looking clouds consisting of fragmented and gray layers. They are composed of particles of liquid water, but generally do not have a rain-producing nature; Clouds that form in spring and summer.
Nimbostratus: The harbinger of rain or snowfall
Dark clouds that turn into rain or snow and block sunlight due to their thickness.
Low-elevation clouds:
Low-elevation clouds (below 2,000 meters), although their name is derived from the word “strato”, low clouds do not have a prefix. Forming below 6,500 feet, these clouds are composed of liquid water droplets or supercooled droplets. In winter, they are clouds that appear in stormy weather. Low-level clouds form in two ways as horizontal layered and vertical layered, and are usually the harbinger of rainy weather.
Cumulus: Fully photographed type
A cloud type that looks like fluffy, white cotton balls in the sky. It creates a beautiful sight at sunset, and their varying size and shape can make us have fun by observing them and making them look like things using our imagination. However, the rounding of the tops and the graying of the color may be a harbinger of rain.
Stratus: They look like fog in high areas
A type of cloud that usually looks like thin, white sheets that cover the entire sky. Because they are so thin, they rarely produce rain or snow. Sometimes they appear like fog in mountainous areas or hills.
Cumulonimbus: Also known as ‘Storm cloud’
, this cloud type, also known as ‘storm cloud’, is a type of cloud that looks like a giant tower. The upper part is usually straight, linear and fibrous. This type of cloud, which is usually very dark, is located low and irregularly. It is a type of cloud that produces hail and tornadoes.
Contrails: Clouds formed by airplanes
They are clouds formed by jet planes flying at high feet. They are formed by water droplets condensing from the water vapor in the exhaust of jet engines. Although not a natural occurrence, they fall under the category of clouds and can help us learn about the layers of moisture in the sky.
Mammatus: They appear as sacs
These clouds are actually cloud types with Altocumulus, Cirrus, Cumulonimbus-like shapes. Its appearance as sacs occurs when the cold air inside the cloud moves downward. It can be a harbinger of heavy rains.
Orographic: Clouds where two air masses meet
These clouds take their shape from mountains or hills that force air to move over or around them. This type of cloud, which can also occur due to sea breezes, usually appears as the lines where two air masses meet. It could be a harbinger of thunder and showers in the afternoon.
Lenticular: They look like flying saucers
These clouds, referred to as lenticular clouds, are shaped like lenses, almonds, or flying saucers. It can take its shape from rough terrain or simply from the way water droplets rise on flat terrain. It does not allow us to receive information about weather events.
If we put their types and shapes aside and look at them, a cloud that doesn’t seem very big to us actually contains between 1 and 5 million kilograms of water with a diameter of about 1 kilometer and a volume of 4 billion cubic meters. The water droplets that make up the clouds are so small that they reflect the light directly and we see the white clouds like cotton. However, the more the water droplets coalesce and thicken, the darker and less reflective clouds form.
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