Clouds Flashcards
What is a cloud?
It’s a large collection of very tiny droplets of water or ice crystals held in the atmosphere. The droplets are so small and light that they can float in the air.
What does all air contain?
Water
What is water vapour?
An invisible gas usually near the ground
How are clouds formed?
When warm air rises, it expand and cools. Cool air cannot hold as much water vapour, so some of the vapour condenses into tiny droplets. When billions of droplets come together they become a visible cloud.
What are the 3 types of clouds?
Stratus, cumulus and cirrus
Where do stratus clouds form?
Below 2,000 m
What are stratus clouds like?
They look like flat sheets of cloud, and indicate an overcast or rainy day. These clouds are usually a uniform grey colour, and cover most of the sky.
Where do cumulus clouds form?
Below 5,000 m
What are cumulus clouds like?
They look like big, fluff balls of cotton wool. They’re usually flat on the bottom and lumpy on the top. They form alone and there’s a lot of blue sky between individual clouds.
What weather do cumulus clouds produce?
They usually mean the weather will be nice but if they look really wooly, they can bring heavy showers, especially in warm weather.
Where do cirrus clouds form?
Below 8,000 m
How are cirrus clouds formed?
They’re created when water vapour forms ice crystals, which are very thin because of the height at which they form.
What are cirrus clouds like?
They’re wispy clouds since there’s very little water vapour at this height and big, thick clouds cannot form.
