Cloud Types Masood

8/11/2019 Cloud Types Masood

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Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics , Karachi , Pakistan

S tudents

C loud

O bservations


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The CERESExperiment:

Question:

What is the Effectof Cloudson theEarths Climate?


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Global Cloud Cover: 50-70%

is soimportant

about a few

Clouds in

the Sky?


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How do

clouds

transmit

and/or

reflect

radiation?__________

Do clouds

cool down

or heat up

the Earths

climate?


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Remote Sensing

Remote sensing has been defined as "a technique usedto gather information about an object or an area without actually

touching it. Our eyes, ears, and skin, as well as more sophisticated

instruments, all aid us in remote

sensing.


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Cloud Types and Levels

Cloud Cover

Visual Opacity

(Percentage)

(How much light penetrates the cloud)

CUMULUS

CIRRUS


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Do you have any CLOUD

EXPERIENCE?Well, I have looked at clouds in the sky since I was a little

kid. One time I saw a cloud that looked like.


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Any other experience with clouds?

I cant think of any, Im in a FOG.

Thats it! Yes, Ive been in a CLOUD.

Ive walked through FOG

(a cloud formed near the ground)

Lets get out of this fog and move into clearer visibility.


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Necessary Ingredients:

Hygroscopic nuclei consist of particles such as

sea salt which have an affinity (attraction) for

water. Water vapor condenses on these particles.

WATER (vapor)

CHANGE INTEMPERATURE

(cooler)

CONDENSATIONNUCLEI (aerosols)


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Just over 200 years ago (in 1803),

Luke Howard used Latin words to

name the cloud types.

Cumulusmeans pile and describes heaped, lumpy cloudsCirrusmeans hair and describes wispy looking clouds.

This term is also used to describe high level clouds

Stratusmeans layer and describes clouds that form in

sheets and do not have any unique features

Cumulusmeans pile and describes heaped, lumpy clouds

Cirrusmeans hair and describes wispy looking clouds.

This term is also used to describe high level clouds

Stratusmeans layer and describes clouds that form in

sheets and do not have any unique features


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Nimbusmeans rain and describes low grey rain clouds

Altodescribes mid level clouds

Cumuluslumpy Cirruswispy Stratus - layered

Contrailsshort for condensation

trails are the only man-made cloud


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Cumuluslumpy Cirruswispy Stratuslayered

Nimbusraining Altomid-level Contrails - streaks


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Imagine that you are

looking through a window.

Notice the dark grey patches on the cloudslack of light.


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Note the silhouette of the sunthere is some

light penetrating through the cloud cover.


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Note the clear outline seen of the sun despite

the cloud cover.


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LETS OBSERVE!

Lets make an

observation

on what we

see on this

beautiful day!

What cloud

types are

present?

Whats the

percentage of

cloud cover?

How much

light

penetrates

the clouds?


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CLOUD CLASSIFICATION

THE 27 STATES OF SKY


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LOW CLOUDS

POLAR REGIONSSurface - 6,500 ft

Surface - 1,981 m

TEMPERATE REGIONSSurface - 6,500 ft

Surface - 1,981 m

TROPICAL REGIONSSurface - 6,500 ft

Surface - 1,981 m


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LOW CLOUDS

CL= 1

Cumulus of little vertical development, or ragged cumulus.


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LOW CLOUDS

CL = 2

Towering cumulus (TCU): Cumulus of moderate or greater vertical development

LOW CLOUDS


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LOW CLOUDS

CL= 3

Cumulonimbus (Cb) -- Cumulus of great vertical development (no cirrus anvil)

LOW CLOUDS


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LOW CLOUDS

CL= 4

Stratocumulus (Sc) formed by the spreading of cumulus

LOW CLOUDS


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LOW CLOUDS

CL= 5

Stratocumulus (SC) notformed by the spreading of cumulus

LOW CLOUDS


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LOW CLOUDS

CL= 6

Stratus (St) in a relatively continuous layer, or ragged shreds (other

than that of bad weather), or both

LOW CLOUDS


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LOW CLOUDS

CL= 7

Low clouds in the form of stratus fractus (StFRA), cumulus fractus (CuFRA), or

both, usually below altostratus (As) or nimbostratus (Ns).

LOW CLOUDS


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LOW CLOUDS

CL= 8

Cumulus (Cu) and stratocumulus (Sc; notformed by the spreading of cumulus)

with bases at different levels

LOW CLOUDS


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LOW CLOUDS

CL = 9

Cumulonimbus (Cb), where the upper part of at least one of the (Cb) clouds in clearly

fibrous or striated. By convention, code figure 9 is used for Cumulonimbus Mammatus

(CbMAM) and those cases in which lightning, thunder, or hail indicates the presence of a

Cb but the top is hidden by darkness or other clouds


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MIDDLE CLODS


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MIDDLE CLODS

CM= 1

Altostratus (As): Predominantly transparent or semitransparent


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MIDDLE CLODS


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MIDDLE CLODS

CM = 4

Altocumulus standing lenticular (AcSL): AC in the form of semitransparent

patches (often fish-shaped, almond-shaped, or lenticular) continuously

changing in appearance and occurring at one or more levels

MIDDLE CLODS


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MIDDLE CLODS

CM= 5

Altocumulus (Ac) progressively invading the sky

MIDDLE CLODS


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MIDDLE CLODS

CM= 6

Altocumulus (Ac) formed by the spreading or flattening of Cu or Cb

MIDDLE CLODS


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CM= 7Altocumulus (Ac) at two or more levels, not progressively invading the

sky; or, opaque Ac at one level, not progressively invading the sky; or,

altostratus (As) or nimbostratus together with Ac.

(Note: This code is generally used as a catch-all by weather observers)

MIDDLE CLODS


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CM = 8

Altocumulus Castellanus (AcC): Altocumulus in the form of turrets or battlements or

AC having the appearance of small cumuliform tufts, with or without altostratus (As)

or nimbostratus (Ns)

MIDDLE CLODS


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CM= 9

Altocumulus (AC) of a chaotic sky, with or without altostratus (AS) or

nimbostratus (NS).


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HIGH CLOUDS


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HIGH CLOUDS

CH= 1

Cirrus (Ci) in the form of thin filaments, strands, or hooks (not

progressively invading the sky)

HIGH CLOUDS


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HIGH CLOUDS

CH= 2

Cirrus (Ci) in predominantly dense patches or with sproutings in the form of small tufts

or battlements

HIGH CLOUDS


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HIGH CLOUDS

CH = 3

Dense cirrus (Ci) (often in the form of an anvil) originating from cumulonimbus (Cb)

HIGH CLOUDS


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G C OU S

CH= 4

Cirrus (Ci) in the form of hooks, filaments, or strands, invading the sky

and generally growing denser

HIGH CLOUDS


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CH= 5Cirrostratus (Cs) (with or without cirrus) progressively invading the sky, and the

continuous veil extends 45 degrees or less above the local horizon

HIGH CLOUDS


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CH= 6

Cirrostratus (Cs) (with or without cirrus) progressively invading the sky,

and the continuous veil extends more than 45Oabove the local horizon

but does not cover the whole sky

HIGH CLOUDS


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CH= 7

Cirrostratus (Cs) covers the entire sky. (Note: The example shown here

also includes condensation trails, or contrails.)

HIGH CLOUDS


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CH= 8

Cirrostratus (CS) doesnot cover the entire sky

and is not invading the

celestial dome

HIGH CLOUDS


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CH= 9

Cirrocumulus (Cc) alone, or predominant when compared with combined sky

cover of any cirrus (Ci) or cirrostratus (Cs) present

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Cloud Types Masood