Clouds Flashcards
A puffy, fair weather cloud with a flat bottom
cumulus cloud
A flat, low-lying cloud that covers the sky like a blanket; can produce rain or snow
stratus cloud
Wispy feathery cloud composed of ice crystals that has the highest altitude of any cloud in the sky
cirrus clouds
Towering, tall mountain-like clouds with gray bottoms that can bring heavy rain and lightning
cumulonimbus clouds
A prefix or suffix meaning that the cloud is producing rain.
nimbo or nimbus
A prefix meaning the cloud is covering the sky in a low layer
strato
A prefix meaning the cloud is at a very high altitude
cirro
A prefix meaning the cloud is at a mid altitude
alto
A stratus cloud that forms when air is cooled to its dew point near the ground
fog
A low cloud, predominantly low, with lumpy, rounded masses, often with blue sky between them.
stratocumulus cloud
Low, gray stratus clouds that produce rain or snow. These clouds are so thick and dark that they can block sunlight.
nimbostratus cloud
A middle cloud, usually white. Often occurs in layers or patches with wavy, rounded masses or rolls.
altostratus cloud
A middle cloud, usually gray. Often occurs in layers or patches with wavy, rounded masses or rolls. Generally found between 6,500 and 23,000 ft.
altocumulus cloud
A cloud at a high altitude consisting of a series of regularly arranged small clouds resembling ripples.
cirrocumulus cloud
A continuous sheet with no features, often has a fibrous look. Very thin; usually the moon or sun is visible through them. It grows from a cirrus by just getting thicker.
cirrostratus cloud
These particles serve as surfaces on which water vapor may condense
condensation nuclei
Fog that forms as moist air flows upward along an elevated surface
upslope fog
Artic sea smoke and steam devils are a form of this type of fog
steam fog
A tiny liquid drop of dew that freezes when the air temp. drops below freezing
frozen dew
Fog that most often forms as warm rain falls into a cold layer of air or when warm moist air rides up and over cold air.
frontal fog
The most common type of fog along the pacific coast of north america
advection fog
Light shower of snow that falls intermittently from cumuliform clouds for a short duration
flurries
Particles in the atmosphere on which ice crystals may grow
ice nuclei
Another name for the ice crystal process of rain formation
bergeron process
Injecting a cloud with small particles with the intent to enhance precipitation
seeding
What is the largest form of precipitation?
hail
Ragged looking clouds that drift rapidly with the wind often beneath a nimbostratus cloud
scud
Lumpy ice particles that form in a cloud usually by the process of accretion
Graupel
What are the two main processes that form precipitation?
collission and coalescence
Water molecules that are colder than freezing but not frozen.
Supercooled droplets
What is used to seed clouds?
dry ice or silver ioide
An observable streak or shaft of precipitation that falls from a cloud but evaporates before reaching the ground.
Virga
Lens shaped clouds formed by moist air crossing mountains
lenticular clouds
A cap cloud that forms above a cumulonimbus cloud or cumulus congestus cloud because most winds are deflected to the top of the cloud.
pileus clouds
Called cow udders, form on underside of cumulonimbus clouds or form in sinking air
mammatus clouds
Condensation trails from aircraft that form when water vapor condenses and freezes around small particles (aerosols) that exist in the aircraft exhaust
contrails
Cirrus clouds are typically found at elevations of:
20,000 feet and above
