clouds

clouds are aesthetically appealing and add excitement to the atmosphere. Without them,there would be no rain or snow, thunder,lightning,rainbow or halos.

CLASSIFICATION OF CLOUDS
1. HIGH CLOUDS
-cirrus
-cirrostratus
-cirrocumulus

2. middle clouds
- altostratus
-altocumulus

3. low clouds
- stratus
-stratocumulus
-nimbostratus

4. clouds with vertical development
- cumulus
-cumulonimbus


CLOUD IDENTIFICATION

1. CIRRUS

cirrus which are thin,wispy, clouds blown by high winds into long streamers called mares' tail. They can look like a white, feathery patch with a faint wisp of atail at one end. Cirrus clouds usually move across the sky from west to east, indicating the prevailing winds at their elevation.
2. CIRROCUMULUS

Clouds seen less frequently than cirrus, appear as small. rounded. white puffs that may occur individually or in long rows.

3.CIRROSTRATUS

which are so thin that the sun and moon can be clearly seen through them. A wide spread high cloud composed of ice crystals, that is normally white and usually covers a large portion of the sky.
4. ALTOCUMULUS

altocumulus are middle cloud that appear as gray, puffy masses,sometimes rolled out in parallel waves or bands. it Composed of water droplets and ice crystals at elevation usually between 2000m and 7000m above the surface.


5. ALTOSTRATUS

It gray or blue-gray cloud that often covers the entire sky over an area that extends over many hundreds of square kilometers.The gray color, height and dimmes of the sun are good clues to identifying an altostratus

6. NIMBOSTRATUS
It is dark gray,"WET" -looking cloud ever associated with more or less continuously falling rain or snow.The base of nimbostratus cloud is normally impossible to identify clearly and is easily confused with the altostatus.

7. SRATOCUMULUS

It appear in rows. in patches, or as rounded masses with blue sky visible between the individual clouds elements. A low, lumpy- looking wide spread cloud with dark and light shading.

8. STRATUS

The low, unifrom,grayish -looking cloud typically has a base below 2000m . Drizzle may fall from its base. It is distinguished from altostratus in that the sun is not usually visible through stratus.

9. CUMULUS

Small ,puffy clouds with relatively flat bases and limited vertical growth

10. CUMULONIMBUS

If a cumulus congestus continues to grow vertically it develops in a giant cumulonimbus- a thunderstorm cloud. Lightning, thunder and even tornadoes are associated with cumulonimbus.

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