Types of Clouds
in earth's troposphere By: Lenzi Price
Levels of Clouds
Clouds are a thick mass of suspended water drops or ice crystals. There are different levels, where different clouds are. The highest clouds are Cirro, the middle clouds are the Alto, and the lowest clouds are Stratus. Those are just the names where you can dictate the level. The Cirro ranges from about 7 km. The Alto ranges from 2-7 km, and the Stratus ranges from 0-2 km.
Stratus cloud
This is what Stratus clouds look like. Covering the sky, grayish, etc. Indicates light drizzle or more sometimes.
Cumulus cloud
This is a cumulus cloud, puffy, white, indicates fair weather, and flat base.
Cirrus cloud
This is a Cirrus cloud, wispy, very high, and curled up.
Characteristics of different clouds
Stratus clouds are grayish, they cover the entire sky and indicate a light mist or drizzle. There are nimbostratus clouds (which mean rain), Cirrostratus clouds(which are very high), and mid-level clouds (Alto stratus). There are different types of stratus clouds they still have a lot of the same characteristics and weather, although there are different types. The next cloud is the Cumulus. These are white puffy, cotton-ball looking clouds. They indicate fair weather and have a flat base and puffy top. There are Cirrocumulus clouds which are very high in the atmosphere, Altocumulus clouds which are mid-level, and also Cumulonimbus which has the same characteristics but instead produces precipitation. The last one is the Cirrus cloud. This is a wispy looking cloud very high up in the atmosphere. They are made of ice and stay like that since they are so high.