OVERVIEW

Get ready to do a virtual shift, a fun way to use computer

software to look at the same cloud from below and above. But

first, let's review some common cloud classifications. Clouds

are given Latin names corresponding to their appearance and

height. Meteorologists further differentiate clouds according

to whether they are producing precipitation or not. Naturally

these same features make a big difference as to how a

satellite “sees” a cloud. Knowing just a little about how a

cloud is formed and the likely particle composition in a cloud

can translate into a lot of information gleaned from common

satellite images.

In this module, you will learn (with lots of fun applets !!):

1. Ten common cloud types and how they are formed

2. How to identify different cloud types on satellite IMAGE

CCLOUDS FORMATI9N

Condensation or Deposition of Water

Clouds form when the water vapor condenses into small

particles. The particles in clouds can either be liquid or solids.

Liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere are referred to

as cloud droplets and the solid particles are often called ice

crystals. The potential for cloud formation (and

precipitation) depends on the amount of water vapor in the

atmosphere. As a parcel of air rises, the moisture it contains

cools and condenses out onto small particles of dust called

cloud condensation nuclei until a cloud forms.

As a volume of unsaturated air cools, its relative humidity

increases. If sufficiently cooled, the relative humidity

becomes 100%, the temperature equals the dew point. Here's

a fun hands-on activity (applet) to help you explore the

relationship between temperature, dew point temperature

and relative humidity.

Lifting of Air

Lifting , also referred to as adiabatic cooling, is the most

common method of humidification of air to form clouds. As

air rises it expands because pressure decreases with altitude.

Kinetic energy is converted to potential energy and the

parcel temperature decreases, and the relative humidity

increases.

The two main large scale lifting processes that result in cloud

formation are convection and advection of air. Convection

refers to air rising vertically in the atmosphere due to

heating. Advection is the horizontal transfer of air that

usually results in warmer air being forced up over cooler air.

Both advection and convection results in the formation of

clouds.

The method of vertical lifting (orographic, convective,

convergence, or frontal) and the stability of the atmosphere

determines the type of cloud. Cumulus clouds tend to form in

unstable atmospheres. Layered clouds form in more stable

environments in which large layers of air are slowly lifted.

Cloud's Role7

Clouds play a crucial role in our global climate. Clouds reflect

shortwave solar energy back into space and tend to cool the

earth. On the other hand, clouds absorb longwave terrestrial

radiation and warm the planet. Satellites are helping

scientists study this important dynamic.

Two common types, stratus and cumulus, undergo

very different processes to become clouds.

Cumulus (Heap Clouds)6

A cumulus cloud results when air is heated up by the sun and

rises a bit faster than the surrounding air. This process is

called convection. At a certain level in the atmosphere the air

cools and the water vapor condenses out to form a cloud.

Convective cumulus clouds develop puffy cotton shaped

profiles. These clouds are easy to pick out on visible satellite

images, as long as there aren't any clouds above them!

Fair weather cumulus clouds have a height that is similar to its

width. These clouds are common in summer when air rises duie

to convection resulting from solar heating of the surface.

During autumn and winter cumulus form over large open

lakes. Fair weather cumulus are not deep enough to cause

rain

Low Level Clouds - II

The Cumulus Cloud Activity

To determine the height of the base of any cumulus cloud

that might form due to convection, simply adjust the surface

temperature and dew point sliders. Note that the cloud will

not form below 1,000 feet or above 10,100 feet.

Activity Questions

1. What is the height of the base of a cumulus cloud with

surface temperature 70 degrees Fahrenheit and dewpoint 48

degrees F?

2. What is the height of the base of a cumulus cloud with

surface temperature 95 degrees Fahrenheit and dewpoint 75

degrees F?

3. What is the height of the base of a cumulus cloud with

surface temperature 1 degree Fahrenheit and dewpoint -4

degrees Fahrenheit?

4. What happens to the base of a cumulus cloud when the

surface temperature is held constant and the dewpoint

increases?

5. What happens to the base of a cumulus cloud when the

surface temperature and dewpoint equal each other?

Low Level Clouds - III

Stratus (Layer Clouds)

The other common type of low cloud is called a stratus cloud.

These are wide flat clouds that frequently stretch from

horizon to horizon. Stratus clouds are usually uniform and

featureless, appearing gray or dullish white rather than blue.

Stratus clouds commonly form when warmer, moist air is

advected (pushed by the winds) into a block of colder air and

is forced up over cooler, dense air until the moistures

condenses out to form a thick blanket of clouds.

7-12

Low Level Clouds – V

Stratocumulus (hybrids of layered stratus and cellular

cumulus)

When the atmosphere has both convective and advective

forces happening at the same time, stratocumulus clouds

result. Stratocumulus clouds often occur in a shallow layer of

unstable air near the surface that is overlain by stable air.

Stratocumulus are frequent in certain geographic regions,

such as along coasts and in valleys. Cold air passing over

warmer water will also produce stratocumulus. This is why this

cloud is common in the winter near the Great Lakes.

Stratocumulus also accompany cold fronts. When associated

with a large weather system, stratocumulus are often the last

cloud to appear before the skies clestr

Clouds that Produce Precipitation

Nimbostratus

Nimbostratus are layered clouds with low bases that produce

precipitation and are usually formed by advection . They are

thick, dark gray with a ragged base, and are often

associated with the passage of warm fronts. The Sun is always

obscured.

Usually, nimbostratus is a sign of steady moderate to heavy

precipitation, as opposed to the shorter period of typically

heavier precipitation released by a cumulonimbus cloud.

However, local conditions may cause nimbostratus to quickly

develop into a thunderstorm (cumulonimbus).

Cumulonimbus

When the atmosphere becomes unstable the convection

intensifies and cumulus clouds can develop into rain clouds or

thunderstorms . Even though the base of a cumulonimbus

cloud may be as low as 3 or 4000 feet, they can grow

vertically up to 50 or 60,000 feet high (as high as the

tropopause) in the summer. At this height, the top of the

cloud spreads out and high winds flatten the top of the cloud

out into an anvil -like shape. Powerful cumulonimbus clouds

with bright white overshooting tops that punch through the

tropopause are especially easy to pick out on visible satellite

images. These are big storms!

Cumulonimbus clouds form in moist atmospheres and are

common in spring and summer. They often occur in the

advance of a cold front. In summer they can form over

mountains due to orographic lifting in combination with solar

heating. Precipitation falls from these clouds and severe

weather (lightning, hail, tornado, flash flood) is common.

Cumulonimbus can be isolated storms or organized in groups.

When cumulonimbus clouds form together in an organized

system, the chance of severe weather increases.

Mid Level Clouds

We use the prefix "alto" to indicate mid level clouds. Mid-

level clouds offer scientist information about the middle part

of the troposphere. Recall that the troposphere is the lowest

part of the Earth's atmosphere where conditions support

living organisms, although the stratosphere, mesosphere, and

thermosphere also play their part supporting life on earth.

Altostratus

Altostratus clouds develop when the middle layers of the

atmosphere are moist and are lifted slowly. They generally

appear as a flat, featureless dark grey sheet. They rarely

block out the sun and are fairly uneventful, although may be

the precursors of a rain event.

Altocumulus

Altocumulus clouds tell a completely different story. The

presence of altocumulus clouds in the sky means that

convection is occurring quite high up. In the summer,

altocumulus clouds that rise up in little castle-like turrets

(castellans) may be a precursor to severe weather

. High Level Clouds - I

The biggest distinction between high clouds and other levels is

the fact that they are made up of ice crystals and not water
droplets. The two most common high clouds are cirrus and

cirrostratus .

Cirrus

Cirrus clouds are thin and wispy as can be seen in the

following photos and satellite images. They are a common

cloud type that occurs in vertical motions ahead of large scale

weather patterns. Cirrus are associated with all weather

systems. They can also be generated by flow over mountains

or in regions with strong winds, such as the jet stream. They

often occur as wisps aligned in the same direction and

generally do not completely cover the sky

High Level Clouds - I

The biggest distinction between high clouds and other levels is

the fact that they are made up of ice crystals and not water

droplets. The two most common high clouds are cirrus and

cirrostratus .

Cirrus
Cirrus clouds are thin and wispy as can be seen in the

following photos and satellite images. They are a common

cloud type that occurs in vertical motions ahead of large scale

weather patterns. Cirrus are associated with all weather

systems. They can also be generated by flow over mountains

or in regions with strong winds, such as the jet stream. They

often occur as wisps aligned in the same direction and

generally do not completely cover the sflo

High Level Clouds - II

Cirrocumulus

Cirrocumulus clouds are fairly rare and fun for enthusiasts

to discover. They are commonly called "popcorn" clouds

because they look like thin white popped kernels floating high

in the sky.

Cirrostratus

Cirrostratus clouds are like sheets of cirrus, high, thin and

continuous. They are responsible for halos and other

beautiful atmospheric phenomena (a "sundog" can be seen in

this picture) because the thin blanket of ice crystals cause

sunlight to refract (bend) and spread out into colors of the

rainbow.

Summary

We've looked at clouds from both sides now and have made

the basic connection between cloud formation, cloud height,

and how clouds look on infrared and visible satellite images.

Every satellite picture tells a story about the clouds below and

the weather associated with those clouds, now you can tell the

story too!

Assessment Questions

1. Name the 3 main categories of clouds and the general prefix

that corresponds to each category.

2. What are the two main ways that clouds are formed? Please

describe.

3. What do we call a cloud on the ground?

4. What is the prefix used for rain clouds?

5. What is the main difference between high level clouds and

other clouds?

6. What is the meteorological name for a thunderstorm?

7. What feature is used to identify thunderstorms on satellite

images?