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Cloud Development

Cloud Types Review

Energy in Clouds

Storms

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Major Cloud Types

  • Stratus (latin for “sheetlike”)
  • Cumulus (“heap”)
  • Cirrus (“curl of hair”) - wispy
  • Nimbus (“rain”)
    • Names combined or subdivided by height

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Cloud Development

  • Most clouds form by rising and cooling
    • (decreased pressure, cloud expands → cools)
  • Push upward caused by either:
    • Convection,
    • Topography,
    • Low pressure uplift, or
    • Weather fronts

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Convection

  • Results from surface heating of Troposphere
    • As thermals rise, air cools – to its dew point
      • Dew point: temperature and pressure at which air reaches 100% humidity (saturated)

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      • Check dew point currently

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Vertical Development in Clouds

  • Clouds with vertical development:
    • Nimbostratus
    • Cumulus Congestus
    • Cumulonimbus
  • Vert. Dev. results from instability of air within cloud.
    • (as opposed to stability of troposphere – stratosphere)

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Water Droplet size

  • Depends on:
    • Updrafts in cloud
    • Height of cloud
    • Size of other particles
    • (maybe also electrical charges)

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Hail

  • Occurs when large frozen raindrops accumulate supercooled liquid
  • To form golf ball size hail, must be in cloud 5-10 minutes
    • Up and down motions through cloud result in layering

cumulonimbus

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Photos