What are clouds and what varieties there are?

Everyone saw the clouds in the sky and roughly imagine what they are. However, what it consists of and how clouds are formed? Let's try to answer this question. Although it is considered still in school, many adults are unable to answer it.

Education

Clouds made of water droplets or ice crystals, are formed by the accumulation of products of condensation of steam. What does it mean? When heating water from the sun some part of it is converted into steam, rises up, where it joins with other water vapor. As a result, they form a big or a small cloud. It all depends on the volume of evaporated liquid.

Actually, now that you understand what constitutes the cloud. Mostly in their composition contains water in the form of small droplets or ice crystals. However, there is an international classification based on their appearance, shapes and heights in education.

Scattered Clouds

Formed by the inclined ascending or varied movements of air. This category includes Cirrus, cirrocumulus, and cirrostratus clouds.

The very first (Cirrus) are formed at a height of 7-8 thousand meters from the ground. They are usually transparent. The thickness of the layers can vary from two hundred meters to twuh kilometers, and the size of the parts may be in the range from 300 meters to two kilometers. Arrays of Cirrus clouds can flow for hundreds of kilometers. And though from earth they are clearly visible through them easily shines through the sun and the moon and the stars. They do not give rain and can persist for 12-18 hours or even several days.

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Cirrocumulus clouds occur at a height of 6-8 km. They are small and thin, look like waves, ripples, flakes, as well easy-rayed sun and the moon, the stars, can be harbingers curtains.

Cirrostratus located at an altitude of 2-6 km, and They form a uniform haze without breaks, through which can Shine the sun and the moon. These clouds, composed of small crystals refract the light from the moon or the sun, when he passes through them. In the result, you can observe the colored circle at the location of the light source.

Middle tier

The Clouds of the middle layer can be altocumulus or Vysokochistye. The first are almost always white but may have a gray tint. What are the clouds? This is mainly supercooled water droplets. Their thickness layer can reach 200-700 meters. Despite the content of their composition, drops of water, they do not give precipitation.

Vysokochistye are located at an altitude of 3-5 km. are Characterized by uniform gray or bluish veil. They often cover the whole sky within view of the person. Their basic structure – supercooled water droplets and ice crystals. The thickness of the layer can reach two kilometers, so the sun shines as through a very dull matte. Given that, what constitutes middle layer clouds, in particular, Vysokochistye, summer, autumn or spring precipitation may reach the ground in the form of small droplets. But in winter, when it's a negative temperature, they can cause snowfall.

Bottom tier

In this category there are 3 types of clouds:

1. Stratocumulus. Located close to the ground – at a height of 0.8-1.5 km. It is grey and big clouds, which only drops of water. Their thickness may reach 200-800 meters, and the sun or moon can enlighten through them only in those areas where the layer is very thin. Given their composition, they may fall short little precipitation.
2. Laminates are at the height of 0,1-0,7 km clouds homogeneous layer, which often have a gray color. They are composed of water droplets, and precipitation of them is quite likely. In summer it is weak and very fine rain, winter – a rare snow. The layer thickness in the range of 200-800 meters. Given the thickness and color, the sun and the moon can't cut through them.
3. Layered-rain clouds formed at a height of 0.1-1 km, it has a dark gray cover with a blue tint. Most often they cover a large area of sky, beyond which man does not see. The layer may be several kilometers. If you're interested, which substance consists of a cloud of this type, you should know that basically in its structure a large drop of water. Therefore, such clouds often precipitation falls as heavy rain or snow in the winter.

Clouds with vertical development

Features of these clouds is that they are formed as a result of the rising air flow. There are Cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud types belonging to this category. They consist of water droplets.

The First (Cumulus) are formed at a height of 0.8-1.5 km. They are dense, have domed tops and flat base, cover almost all the sky. Like most other clouds, these also consist of water droplets do not show any precipitation, but over time can evolve into heavy rain clouds.

Cumulonimbus are at the height of 0.4-1 km. This is a very powerful and voluminous mass with a dark base, which from a distance can remind you of the mountains. Their structure is fibrous. The upper part of these clouds consists of ice crystals of these clouds, possible precipitation in the form of heavy rains and snow in the winter.