Cloud Types Masood

Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics , Karachi , Pakistan
S tudents
C loud
O bservations
The CERES Experiment:
Question:
What is the Effect
of Clouds on the
Earths Climate?

Global Cloud Cover: 50-70%
is so
important
about a few
Clouds in
the Sky?
How do
clouds
transmit
and/or
reflect
radiation?
__________
Do clouds
cool down
or heat up
the Earths
climate?
Remote Sensing
Remote sensing has been defined as "a technique used
to 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.

What the
Students Observe
Satellite View of Clouds
What else did the
students report seeing?
Mountains with snow & ice
Cloud Types and Levels
Cloud Cover
Visual Opacity
(Percentage)
(How much light penetrates the cloud)
CUMULUS
CIRRUS
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.
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.
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 IN
TEMPERATURE
(cooler)
CONDENSATION
NUCLEI (aerosols)
Just over 200 years ago (in 1803),
Luke Howard used Latin words to
name the cloud types.
Cumulus means pile and describes heaped, lumpy clouds Cirrus means hair and describes wispy looking clouds.
This term is also used to describe high level clouds
Stratus means layer and describes clouds that form in
sheets and do not have any unique features
Nimbus means cloud and describes low grey rain clouds
Alto describes mid level clouds
Cumulus means pile and describes heaped, lumpy clouds
Cirrus means hair and describes wispy looking clouds.
This term is also used to describe high level clouds
Stratus means layer and describes clouds that form in
sheets and do not have any unique features

Nimbus means rain and describes low grey rain clouds
Alto describes mid level clouds
Cumulus lumpy Cirrus wispy Stratus - layered
Contrails short for condensation
trails are the only man-made cloud
Cumulus lumpy Cirrus wispy Stratus layered
Nimbus raining Alto mid-level Contrails - streaks
Imagine that you are
looking through a window.

Notice the dark grey patches on the cloudslack of light.
Note the silhouette of the sunthere is some
light penetrating through the cloud cover.
Note the clear outline seen of the sun despite
the cloud cover.
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?
Can you think of a name for
this cloud before I keep going
and going and going ?
Questions ?
Do you have any
CLOUD CLASSIFICATION

THE 27 STATES OF SKY
LOW CLOUDS
POLAR REGIONS
Surface - 6,500 ft
Surface - 1,981 m
TEMPERATE REGIONS
Surface - 6,500 ft
Surface - 1,981 m
TROPICAL REGIONS
Surface - 6,500 ft
Surface - 1,981 m
LOW CLOUDS
C
L
= 1
Cumulus of little vertical development, or ragged cumulus.
LOW CLOUDS
C
L
= 2
Towering cumulus (TCU): Cumulus of moderate or greater vertical development
LOW CLOUDS
C
L
= 3
Cumulonimbus (Cb) -- Cumulus of great vertical development (no cirrus anvil)
LOW CLOUDS
C
L
= 4
Stratocumulus (Sc) formed by the spreading of cumulus
LOW CLOUDS
C
L
= 5
Stratocumulus (SC) not formed by the spreading of cumulus
LOW CLOUDS
C
L
= 6
Stratus (St) in a relatively continuous layer, or ragged shreds (other
than that of bad weather), or both
LOW CLOUDS
C
L
= 7
Low clouds in the form of stratus fractus (StFRA), cumulus fractus (CuFRA), or
both, usually below altostratus (As) or nimbostratus (Ns).
LOW CLOUDS
C
L
= 8
Cumulus (Cu) and stratocumulus (Sc; not formed by the spreading of cumulus)
with bases at different levels
LOW CLOUDS
C
L
= 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
MIDDLE CLODS
POLAR REGIONS
6,500 - 13,000 ft
1,981 - 3,962 m
TEMPERATE REGIONS
6,500 - 23,000 ft
1,981 - 7,010 m
TROPICAL REGIONS
6,500 - 25,000 ft
1,981 - 7,620 m
MIDDLE CLODS
C
M
= 1
Altostratus (As): Predominantly transparent or semitransparent
MIDDLE CLODS
C
M
= 2
Altostratus (As) or nimbostratus (Ns): Predominantly opaque, often
associated with long periods of continuous precipitation.
MIDDLE CLODS
C
M
= 3
Altocumulus (Ac) predominantly semitransparent or transparent at
one level, not progressively invading the sky
MIDDLE CLODS
C
M
= 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
C
M
= 5
Altocumulus (Ac) progressively invading the sky
MIDDLE CLODS
C
M
= 6
Altocumulus (Ac) formed by the spreading or flattening of Cu or Cb
MIDDLE CLODS
C
M
= 7
Altocumulus (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
C
M
= 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
C
M
= 9
Altocumulus (AC) of a chaotic sky, with or without altostratus (AS) or
nimbostratus (NS).
HIGH CLOUDS
POLAR REGIONS
10,000 - 25,000 ft
3,048 - 7,620 m
TEMPERATE REGIONS
16,500 - 45,000 ft
5,029 - 13,716 m
TROPICAL REGIONS
20,000 - 60,000 ft
6,096 - 18,288 m
HIGH CLOUDS
C
H
= 1
Cirrus (Ci) in the form of thin filaments, strands, or hooks (not
progressively invading the sky)
HIGH CLOUDS
C
H
= 2
Cirrus (Ci) in predominantly dense patches or with sproutings in the form of small tufts
or battlements
HIGH CLOUDS
C
H
= 3
Dense cirrus (Ci) (often in the form of an anvil) originating from cumulonimbus (Cb)
HIGH CLOUDS
C
H
= 4
Cirrus (Ci) in the form of hooks, filaments, or strands, invading the sky
and generally growing denser
HIGH CLOUDS
C
H
= 5
Cirrostratus (Cs) (with or without cirrus) progressively invading the sky, and the
continuous veil extends 45 degrees or less above the local horizon
HIGH CLOUDS
C
H
= 6
Cirrostratus (Cs) (with or without cirrus) progressively invading the sky,
and the continuous veil extends more than 45
O
above the local horizon
but does not cover the whole sky
HIGH CLOUDS
C
H
= 7
Cirrostratus (Cs) covers the entire sky. (Note: The example shown here
also includes condensation trails, or contrails.)
HIGH CLOUDS
C
H
= 8

Cirrostratus (CS) does
not cover the entire sky
and is not invading the
celestial dome
HIGH CLOUDS
C
H
= 9
Cirrocumulus (Cc) alone, or predominant when compared with combined sky
cover of any cirrus (Ci) or cirrostratus (Cs) present

Cloud Types Masood

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Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics , Karachi , Pakistan

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