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  • Clouds: John Harris - Head of Geography - Radley College - UK

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    Clouds are formed when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into liquid water droplets or solid ice crystals. [1] There are three main ways that air can be cooled enough for condensation to occur: contact with cold surfaces, convection over warm ground, and lifting of air by topographical features like mountains. [2] Clouds are classified by their shape and height, with low clouds like stratus below 2,000 meters, middle-level clouds like alto-cumulus between 2,000-6,000 meters, and high-level clouds like cirrus above 6,000 meters. [3]

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    Various Clouds

    Original Title

    Clouds

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    Clouds are formed when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into liquid water droplets or solid ice crystals. [1] There are three main ways that air can be cooled enough for condensation to occur: contact with cold surfaces, convection over warm ground, and lifting of air by topographical features like mountains. [2] Clouds are classified by their shape and height, with low clouds like stratus below 2,000 meters, middle-level clouds like alto-cumulus between 2,000-6,000 meters, and high-level clouds like cirrus above 6,000 meters. [3]

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    17 views12 pages

    Clouds: John Harris - Head of Geography - Radley College - UK

    Uploaded by

    trirev
    Clouds are formed when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into liquid water droplets or solid ice crystals. [1] There are three main ways that air can be cooled enough for condensation to occur: contact with cold surfaces, convection over warm ground, and lifting of air by topographical features like mountains. [2] Clouds are classified by their shape and height, with low clouds like stratus below 2,000 meters, middle-level clouds like alto-cumulus between 2,000-6,000 meters, and high-level clouds like cirrus above 6,000 meters. [3]

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    Clouds

    John Harris - Head of Geography - Radley College - UK


    mjh@radley.org.uk

    http://geography.radley.org.uk

    Water is strange stuff!


    Water can occur in 3
    states:
    Gas - water
    vapour (invisible)
    Liquid - water
    droplets (visible)
    Solid - ice
    crystals, hail,
    snow

    What are clouds?


    Clouds are formed of tiny droplets of
    water or ice.
    Clouds form when water vapour cools
    and condenses.
    The temperature at which condensation
    occurs is called dew point.
    Condensation also requires nucleii
    (small particles) such as dust.

    What happens when air is cooled?


    Relative humidity increases.
    Dew point is reached (100% relative
    humidity).
    Water vapour (invisible) condenses to
    form water droplets (visible).
    Sometimes the water vapour may
    change straight into solid state: called
    sublimation.

    How is air cooled?


    Contact eg with a cold surface such as
    over land in winter.
    Convection eg uplift over warm ground.
    Orographic eg rising over mountains.
    Frontal eg when a mass of warm air
    meets and rises over a mass of cold air.

    Cloud shapes
    Clouds can be classified by their shape and height
    Flat clouds
    eg Stratus (St)

    Fluffy clouds
    eg Cumulus (Cu)

    Wispy clouds
    eg Cirrus (Ci)

    Cloud heights
    Clouds can also be classified by height of cloudbase
    Low level (below 2000m)
    eg stratus

    Middle level - alto


    (2,000 to 6, 000m)
    eg alto-cumulus

    High level - cirro


    (above 6,000m)
    eg cirrus

    Spot the cloud!


    Low and flat ..

    Stratus

    Spot the cloud!


    Middle level,
    fluffy ..

    Alto -Cumulus

    Spot the cloud!


    High level,
    wispy ..

    Cirrus

    Spot the cloud!


    Rain bearing,
    storm clouds ..

    Cumulo-Nimbus

    World cloud patterns

    Can you explain the major world cloud belts?

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