COMPRE-DECK

ASSIGNMENT-1

FAGARANG, AMER KEITH L.

MTS4-B1
 CLOUD
A cloud is a mass of water drops or ice crystals
suspended in the atmosphere. Clouds form when
water condenses in the sky. The condensation lets
us see the water vapor.

CLOUD COMPOSITION

Clouds are made up of tiny droplets of water or

ice crystals that are suspended in the atmosphere.
These droplets or crystals form when water vapor
in the air cools and condenses into liquid or solid
form. The exact composition of a cloud can vary
depending on the type of cloud, the temperature
and humidity conditions, and other factors.
ANSWER ...
Why clouds form when air containing water vapour rises,
cools adiabatically and become saturated?
Clouds are formed when air contains as much water vapor (gas)
as it can hold. This is called the saturation point, and it can be
reached in two ways. First, moisture accumulates until it reaches
the maximum amount the volume of air can hold. The other
method reduces the temperature of the moisture filled air, which
in turn lowers the amount of moisture it can contain. Saturation,
therefore, is reached through evaporation and condensation,
respectively. When saturation occurs, moisture becomes visible
water droplets in the form of fog and clouds.
CONDENSATION NUCLEI
Cloud condensation nuclei are very small particles, typically about 0.0001
mm in diameter (1% the size of cloud droplets), that serves as a surface for
water vapor to condense onto. They play an important role not just in cloud
droplet formation, but the formation of raindrops and snowflakes.

Condensation nuclei are essential to the formation of clouds. Just as water

droplets form at the surface of the earth on metal, glass, and plants, the
condensation nuclei act as a surface in the air that water vapor can attach to
form water droplets. Condensation nuclei are necessary to form clouds.
Without condensation nuclei, there would be no clouds in the sky. For
water vapor (gas) to convert to water droplets (liquid), the gas needs a
surface for condensation to occur.
 DID YOU KNOW ...
Clouds consist entirely of water droplets, entirely of ice
crystals, or of a mixture of water droplets and ice crystals,
with crystals predominating in the colder, upper regions of
the troposphere. Mixed clouds occur only when the cloud
temperature is below 0 °C (32 °F). In such clouds the ice
crystals will grow preferentially with respect to the water
droplets as water vapour evaporates from the droplets and
deposits onto the ice crystals. Thus, mixed clouds last for
only short times before becoming all ice crystals.
 STAGES OF CLOUD FORMATION

01 02 03 04 05
Warm air rises The relative Air eventually Water vapor Millions of tiny
and cools humidity of the becomes condenses on water drops of
air increases saturated smoke, dust, salt, liquid water
and other small collect to form a
particals cloud
 DEFINITIONS
EVAPORATION
Evaporation is the process
that changes liquid water
to gaseous water (water
vapor). Water moves from
the Earth's surface to the
atmosphere via
evaporation. Evaporation
occurs when energy (heat)
forces the bonds that hold
water molecules together
to break.
ADVECTION CLOUD PRECIPITATION
Advection occurs any FORMATION Precipitation is any
time an airmass moves. result of atmospheric
Clouds are formed when
When a warm airmass water vapour
water droplets and ice
moves into an area crystals combine to form a condensation that comes
previously occupied by a
floating mass in the sky. under cloud gravity. The
cooler airmass, Warm When the atmospheric main types of
Air Advection (WAA) condition is just right, precipitation include
occurs. Cold air water vapour combines drizzle, rain, sleet, snow,
replacing warm air is with aerosol particulates ice pellets, graupel, and
known as Cold Air and condensation occurs. hail.
Advection (CAA).
 EARTH’S
HYDROLOGICAL
CYCLE
When molecules of water vapor return to liquid or
solid form, they create cloud droplets that can fall
back to Earth as rain or snow—a process called
condensation. Most precipitation lands in the oceans.
Precipitation that falls onto land flows into rivers,
streams, and lakes. Some of it seeps into the soil
where it is held underground as groundwater.

The Earth’s water cycle began about 3.8
billion years ago when rain fell on a
cooling Earth, forming the oceans. The
rain came from water vapor that
escaped the magma in the Earth’s
molten core into the atmosphere.
Energy from the sun helped power the
water cycle and Earth’s gravity kept
water in the atmosphere from leaving
the planet.
When warmed by the sun, water on the surface of
oceans and freshwater bodies evaporates, forming a
vapor. Water vapor rises into the atmosphere, where it
condenses, forming clouds. It then falls back to the
ground as precipitation. Moisture can also enter the
atmosphere directly from ice or snow. In a process
called sublimation, solid water, such as ice or snow,
can transform directly into water vapor without first
becoming a liquid.
The oceans hold about 97 percent of the
water on Earth. About 1.7 percent of
Earth’s water is stored in polar ice caps
and glaciers. Rivers, lakes, and soil
hold approximately 1.7 percent. A tiny
fraction—just 0.001 percent—exists in
the Earth’s atmosphere as water vapor.
CUMULUS
Cumulus clouds are the clouds you learned to draw at
an early age and that serve as the symbol of all clouds.
Their tops are rounded, puffy, and a brilliant white
when sunlit, while their bottoms are flat and relatively
dark.

They develop on clear, sunny days when the sun heats

the ground directly below. This is where they get their
nickname of "fair weather" clouds. They appear in the
late morning, grow, and then disappear toward
evening.
STRATUS
Stratus clouds hang low in the sky as a flat,
featureless, uniform layer of grayish cloud. They
resemble fog that hugs the horizon.

Stratus clouds are seen on dreary, overcast days and

are associated with light mist or drizzle.
CIRRUS
They are high feathery clouds. They are up so high
they are actually made of ice particles. They are
indicators of fair weather when they are scattered in a
clear blue sky.
NIMBUS
Nimbus is another word associated with clouds.
Adding “nimbus” means precipitation is falling from
the cloud.
CUMULONIMBUS
Cumulonimbus clouds are the “thunderheads” that can
be seen on a warm summer day and can bring strong
winds, hail, and rain.
NIMBOSTRATUS
Nimbostratus clouds will bring a long steady rain.
 FOG
Fog is a cloud that touches the ground. Fog shows up when water vapor, or
water in its gaseous form, condenses. During condensation, molecules of
water vapor combine to make tiny liquid water droplets that hang in the air.
You can see fog because of these tiny water droplets. Water vapor, a gas, is
invisible.

Fog happens when it’s very, very humid. There has to be a lot of water vapor
in the air for fog to form.

In order for fog to form, dust or some kind of air pollution needs to be in the

air. Water vapor condenses around these microscopic solid particles. 
 CLOUD CLASSIFICATONS

CUMULUS, STRATUS, ALTOCUMULUS, NIMBOSTRATUS,

STRATOCUMULUS
Low-level clouds occur below 6500 feet, and normally consist of liquid
water droplets or even super cooled droplets, except during cold winter
storms when ice crystals (and snow) comprise much of the clouds.
ALTOSTRATUS
Medium-level clouds that form between 6,500 and 20,000 feet (1981–6,096
m) Depending on the altitude, time of year, and vertical temperature structure
of the troposphere, these clouds may be composed of liquid water droplets,
ice crystals, or a combination of the two, including super cooled droplets

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 CLOUD CLASSIFICATONS

CIRRUS, CIRROCUMULUS, CUMULONIMBUS

CIRROSTRATUS Cumulonimbus, which tower across the low,
middle, and upper atmosphere
High-level clouds that form above 20,000 feet (6,096 m) Due to cold
tropospheric temperatures at these levels, the clouds primarily are
composed of ice crystals, and often appear thin, streaky, and white

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THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

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