Stratocumulus clouds are low-level clumps or patches of cloud varying in colour from bright white to dark grey . They are the most common clouds on earth recognised by their well-defined bases, with some parts often darker than others. They usually have gaps between them, but they can also be joined together.
What is the shape of a stratocumulus cloud?
Stratocumulus Lenticularis are separate flat elongated seed-shaped clouds . They are typical for polar countries or warmer climate during winter seasons. They also can be formed by winds passing hills or mountains, such as Foehn winds, and in this case they can be very regularly shaped.
What height are stratocumulus clouds?
Stratocumulus top heights are typically 500–2000 m over the Earth , confined mostly by the inversion height of atmospheric boundary layers. Stratocumulus clouds can exist within both well-mixed and intermittently coupled boundary layers.
Does stratocumulus clouds indicate fair weather?
Stratocumulus – low, puffy and grey, forming rows in the sky. They indicate dry weather if the temperature differences between night and day are slight . Precipitation is rare, but they can turn into nimbostratus clouds.
What is the main difference between altocumulus and stratocumulus clouds?
Altocumulus clouds are more closely related to stratocumulus clouds than they are to cumulus clouds . They share almost all of the same cloud species, cloud varieties, and other cloud features. Their altitude however differentiates them the most, with stratocumulus clouds being closer to the ground.
What are the four types of cloud?
The different types of clouds are cumulus, cirrus, stratus and nimbus .
What makes stratocumulus clouds unique?
Stratocumulus clouds are a unique combination of both stratus and cumulus clouds. They are found low in the atmosphere and usually appear gray in color. You can identify them in the sky because they look like lumpy rows of cottons balls .
At what height clouds are present?
At the upper reaches of the troposphere you’ll find high clouds, which, depending on geographic location, occur between roughly 10,000 and 60,000 feet . Below that is the home of mid-level clouds, which generally occur between 6,000 and 25,000 feet.
Are stratocumulus clouds stable?
Stratocumulus castellanus – These are thicker, more drizzly stratocumulus clouds. Turreted tops form when convection initiates through the stable layer, allowing stratocumulus to grow upwards and potentially leading to the formation of cumulus congestus or even cumulonimbus.
Why do stratocumulus clouds last all day?
Why do stratonimbus storms last all day long? Stratus clouds cover the whole sky, so when they are blown by wind it will take a long time to pass . They don’t move with the wind. The day is longer with those kinds of clouds.
Do clouds affect climate?
Clouds affect the climate but changes in the climate, in turn, affect the clouds. ... Clouds warm or cool Earth’s atmosphere by absorbing heat emitted from the surface and radiating it to space. Clouds warm and dry Earth’s atmosphere and supply water to the surface by forming precipitation.
What are the three types of cloud?
Cumulus, Stratus, and Cirrus . There are three main cloud types.
Can clouds predict weather?
Here are some hints for predicting weather by reading clouds. Isolated, wispy , or very high clouds are an indication of fair weather. Crowded, dense, dark, and towering clouds indicate changing or worsening weather. ... If cloud color, shape, and size change, so will the weather.
What gives clouds their shape?
Cloud Shapes are Caused by Air
Since clouds are made up of millions of tiny pieces of water, when they are really high up in the sky where the air is very cold, the water droplets freeze into floating ice crystals. When we observe these clouds way up in the sky, they look like wispy strands.
What are fluffy clouds called?
Cumulus clouds look like fluffy, white cotton balls in the sky. They are beautiful in sunsets, and their varying sizes and shapes can make them fun to observe! Stratus cloud often look like thin, white sheets covering the whole sky. Since they are so thin, they seldom produce much rain or snow.
What is a rain cloud called?
Clouds that produce rain and snow fall into this category. (“ Nimbus ” comes from the Latin word for “rain.”) Two examples are the nimbostratus or cumulonimbus clouds. ... These low-level clouds are full of moisture. Cumulonimbus clouds are also called thunderheads. Thunderheads produce rain, thunder, and lightning.
