cloud types
These clouds are puffy and cotton-like w/ flat bases and round tops.
Cumulus
These clouds have bases from the surface to 6,500 ft AGL.
Low clouds
Rising air stays warmer than the surrounding air and keeps rising. Is it stable or unstable air?
Unstable air.
The Sun heats the ground, warming the air above it until the air rises. Name the lifting agent.
Convection.
What is the term for the temperature at which the air becomes saturated?
The saturation point.
what is nimbostratus clouds?
Dark grey cloud layers associated with continuous rain or snow.
These clouds commonly use the prefix 'alto-'.
Middle clouds, i.e altocumulus
Rising air becomes cooler than the surrounding air and sinks back. Is it stable or unstable air?
Stable.
Wind encounters a mountain, and the slope forces the air upward. Name the lifting agent.
Orographic lift.
Name the 2 ways a cloud can form.
The air temperature drops to its saturation point, or the temperature stays constant while the amount of water in the air increases.
These thunderstorm clouds are associated with lightning, thunder, and hail.
Cumulonimbus
These clouds are composed of ice crystals and often use the prefix 'cirro-' or 'cirrus-'.
High clouds, i.e cirrocumulus
Name one type of cloud associated with stable air and one associated with unstable air.
Stable: stratus. Unstable: cumulus.
A colder, denser air mass forces warmer air upward where the two air masses meet. Name the lifting agent.
Frontal lift.
As air rises, what happens to it, and how can that help a cloud form?
As air rises, it expands and cools; Because cold air cannot hold as much moisture as warm air, when the air reaches the saturation point, the water vapor inside it turns into liquid water droplets, which latch onto microscopic airborne particles like dust or pollen, and they bunch together to create a cloud.
What is the key differences between cumulus and stratus clouds in their shape and how they form?
Cumulus clouds are puffy or cotton-like and form in unstable air; stratus clouds are flat or layered and may cover much of the sky, they form in stable air.
Name the 4 cloud-height categories
Low, middle, high, and clouds of vertical development.
A pilot encounters gusty winds and possible moderate-to-severe turbulence. Which air condition is associated with these characteristics?
Unstable air.
Buildings and uneven terrain disrupt moving air through friction, creating eddies. Name the lifting agent.
Mechanical turbulence.
The Sun heats the ground, air rises, expands, and cools. Identify the lifting agent and explain how this process can lead to a cloud.
Convection; As the air rises, it expands and cools; Because cold air cannot hold as much moisture as warm air, when the air reaches the saturation point, the water vapor inside it turns into liquid water droplets, which latch onto microscopic airborne particles like dust or pollen, and they bunch together to create a cloud.
You see a dark, towering cloud with thunder and lightning. Identify the cloud type and the likely weather.
Cumulonimbus; thunderstorms and potentially severe weather (lightning, thunder, hail).
This cloud has a thin, wispy appearance and is found high in the atmosphere. What is it called, what is it made of, and what type of cloud is it (based on height)?
Cirrus; it is composed of ice crystals and is a high cloud.
Two rising air masses behave differently: A continues rising; B sinks back toward its original position. Explain why each behaves this way.
A remains warmer than the surrounding air, so it is unstable and continues rising. B becomes cooler than the surrounding air, so it is stable and sinks back.
Wind flows toward the centre of a low-pressure system. Air collects there and is forced upward. Name the lifting agent and explain why the air rises.
Convergence. Air flows toward the low-pressure centre, and the accumulating air is forced upward.
Two areas have rising air. In Area A, the air is stable; in Area B, it is unstable. What cloud forms are associated with each, and why?
Stable air is associated with stratus-type clouds because it resists continued upward movement; unstable air is associated with cumulus-type clouds because air that remains warmer than its surroundings continues rising.