Watching the clouds go by

Abstract

Have you ever lain on your back on a Sunday afternoon and just watched the clouds go by? Do you know how they form and what their purpose is? Clouds are actually suspended masses of water and ice floating above us. Clouds form when warm, supersaturated air rises and condenses in cooler temperatures, releasing its watery burden and creating thousands of millions of droplets that are only micrometers in size. There are 27 different sub-types of cloud – from the wispy to the ominous. Clouds are named according to their height and form. Cirrus typically forms high in the sky (above 6 000 metres), when strong winds sweep ice crystals into shapes that remind of wisps of fleece. Impenetrable grey sheets, stratus creates the rainy-day look typical of Cape winters. Altostratus forms in the middle of the cloud-forming layer of the atmosphere (2 000 to 6 000 metres) and may contain ice and water. Rain-bearing sheets of cloud are called nimbostratus. Those cauliflower-shaped clouds are called cumulus. These clouds begin in the lower level of the sky and may tower up to 16 km high.

Authors

Categories