Conditions for Cloud Formation

Clouds are made of which 2 states of Matter?

Liquid
Ice

CONDENSATION NUCLEI:
Surface for water vapor to condense on (dust,
smoke, salt)
-How does this help the formation of clouds?
Other ingredients for Cloud Formation

1. Air must be saturated

2. Cooling leads to condensation
3. LOW PRESSURE
Causes air to e x p a n dcooling air to its
dewpoint

Cloud Video
 Convective Cooling
The lowering of the temperature of a mass of air
due to its rising and expanding.
FORCEFUL LIFTING
 FORCEFUL LIFTING
1. Frontal Wedging
- a moving mass of warm air encounters a mass
of cold air in its path and rises up over it

2. Orographic Lifting
- An air mass is force from a low elevation to a
higher elevation as it moves over rising
terrain.
Forceful Lifting: Frontal Wedging
Forceful Lifting: Frontal Wedging
Forceful Lifting: Frontal Wedging
Forceful Lifting: Frontal Wedging
 Orographic Lifting
RAINSHADOW Effect
Forceful Lifting
 FOG
The result of
condensation of
water vapor in the
air. Formed near the
surface of the earth.

Like a cloud, only

lower.
 FOG
Radiation fog
At night, layer of air
above ground is
cooled to its dew
point
Advection fog
Warm moist air
moves over a cold
surface (mostly
coastal)
 Precipitation
Work on 5.04 table

Use pg. 489-493

Due Monday!
CLOUD CLASSIFICATION
 CLOUD TYPES
There are three major
cloud types:
Stratus- low layers of
clouds. These clouds
can bring light rain.
Fog is usually a layer of
stratus clouds touching
the ground.
 CLOUD TYPES
Cumulus- mid-level
clouds that are fluffy and
have flat bases. Large
cumulus clouds can
produce thunderstorms.
Cirrus- high-level clouds
that are wispy. No
precipitation is associated
with these clouds.
 CLOUD TYPES
Cloud prefixes & suffixes:
Cirro- high level clouds
Alto- mid-level clouds
Strato- low-level clouds
Nimbo/nimbus- rain clouds
Cumulo- towering clouds
These terms can be
combined to form several
cloud names.
 CLOUD TYPES
Cumulonimbus- towering
cumulus cloud capable of
thunderstorms.
Stratocumulus- low-level,
layered and puffy clouds.
Nimbostratus- low layers
of clouds that are capable
of bringing long, steady
rain.
 CLOUD TYPES
Cirrostratus- high, thin
layered clouds. These can
form halos around the
moon or sun.
Altostratus- mid-level,
layered clouds. These
look gray/blue. The sun is
visible through them.
Altocumulus- mid-level
clouds that are puffy.
Cirrocumulus- high-level
clouds that are puffy.