Cloud types are classified based on their altitude and appearance. High-level clouds like cirrus and cirrostratus form at altitudes over 6000m and are made of ice crystals. Medium-level clouds such as altostratus and altocumulus form between 2000-6000m. Low clouds like stratocumulus and stratus form below 2000m. Clouds impact climate through radiation, precipitation formation, and vertical transport of gases and aerosols.

2. Cold and dry

5. Cloud Classification
Four latin terms form the basis for the naming of clouds:
– Cirrus : fibrous or hair-like
– Cumulus : a heap or pile
– Stratus : a horizontal sheet or layer
– Nimbus : rain-bearing
The prefix Alto is used to indicate medium altitude
clouds.
Terms, and basic classifications first proposed by Luke Howard in 1803.
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cld/cldtyp/home.rxml - good online guide

6. Cloud types
Name of
cloud types
Conventional
symbols
Average
heights
Notes
Stratus St 800m High fogs
Nimbostratus Ns 1000m
Heavy
showers
Stratocumulus Sc 1500m
Altocumulus Ac 3500m
Altostratus As 4000m
Cirrocumulus Cc 7000m
Cirrostratus Cs 8000m
Forming
halos
Cirrus Ci 9000m
Not hiding
the sun
Cumulus Cu 18000m
Clouds
formed by
ascent of air
Cumulonimbus Cb 20000m
Clouds
formed by
ascent of air
Low clouds
(average higher level
2000m; average lower
level near the soil)
Average clouds
(average higher level
6000m; average lower
level 2000m)
High clouds
(average lower level
6000m)
Vertical clouds

7. High Level:
– Cloud base above 6000m
– Are all forms of cirrus (ice clouds)
Medium Level:
– Cloud base
2000-6000m
Low level:
– Cloud base below 2000m (within boundary layer)

8. High-Level Clouds
Cirrus (Ci): White, delicate, fibrous in
appearance. Forms in patches or narrow
bands. May for comma-shaped streaks or
“mare’s tails” (cirrus uncinus)
Cirrus clouds are formed entirely
of ice crystals. These grow and
evaporate slowly, leading to soft
edges to clouds.

9. Cirrostratus (Cs):
Thin, transparent sheet or veil;
sun clearly visible & casting
shadows at surface. A halo may
be seen around the sun (or
moon). Sheets of cirrostratus
may cover entire sky, and be up
to several 1000m deep.

10. Cirrocumulus (Cc): Thin white
patch or sheet of cloud; appears
dappled or rippled. Dappling
results from convective
overturning within the cloud,
ripples from gravity waves.
Aircraft contrails: condensation
from aircraft exhaust. May
dissipate quickly, or be very long-
lived depending on conditions.

11. Medium-Level Clouds
Altostratus (As): A greyish
sheet of cloud, may be fibrous
or uniform in appearance.
Thin enough in parts to make
out the sun, but no halo.

12. Altocumulus (Ac): white or
grey patches arranged in
sheets. Shape and texture
are variable.
There are several distinct
sub-classes of altocumulus

13. Altocumulus lenticularis (Ac len):
white or grey lenticular (lens
shaped) clouds formed by the lifting
of air over a topographic barrier.

14. Altocumulus castellanus
(Ac cas): white or grey, broken
cumulus-like clouds; upper part
appearing castle-like.
Sometimes arranged in lines.

15. Altocumulus undulatus (Ac und):
white or grey patches or sheets of
cloud with an undulating or rippled
appearance.

16. Low-Level Clouds
Cumulus (Cu): Brilliant white to grey,
dense detached clouds. Forms clumped
or heaped (cauliflower-like) shapes,
usually with sharp outlines and flat base.
Field of Cu often have bases all at same
(lifting condensation) level.

17. Cumulus humilis (Cu hum):
small cumulus, of limited
vertical extent, may have a
flattened appearance. Also
called fair-weather cumulus

18. Cumulus mediocris : cumulus,
of moderate vertical extent.

19. Cumulus congestus:
crowded (congested) field of
cumulus or greater vertical
extent. May produce rain.

20. Pileus : cap clouds that form above large cumulus as the
upward motion of the convective cloud distorts the layer of air
above (pileus is latin for skull-cap)

22. Cumulonimbus (Cb) : huge towering cloud, dark base and white
sides. Associated with heavy rain, thunderstorms, and hail. Frequently
has an anvil shaped top.

23. mammatus : smooth, rounded shapes sometimes formed on
the underside of cumulonimbus; they result from downdrafts
within the cloud.

24. Stratocumulus (Sc) :
white or grey sheet of
cloud, usually formed in
mounds or rolls.

27. Stratocumulus with virga – hair-like strands of falling
rain, which evaporate below cloud before reaching the surface.

28. Stratus (St) : grey featureless layer of cloud with a uniform base.
Often associated with drizzle or snow.

29. Nimbostratus (Ns) : Dark grey,
featureless, thick layer of cloud.
Associated with prolonged
precipitation. Commonly forms
in frontal systems

30. Precipitation
• Cloud droplets require a condensation nuclei on which to
form; growth then occurs by deposition of water molecules
from vapour.
– Growth is limited by local supersaturation of the vapour
– Growth rate decreases as droplet size increases
• Cloud droplets are typically 10 to 30 m in diameter.
Growth/evaporation can occur within a few 10s of seconds.
• Rain drops are typically 0.5 to 5 mm in diameter, growth from
the vapour would take several hours – longer than the lifetime
of typical convective clouds.

31. • In order to grow into rain drops, cloud droplets must grow by
coalescence
– Larger droplets fall faster than small ones, and can collide with them
– The process by which a sufficient number of large enough droplets is
generated remains a topic of active research
• Ice crystals provide a more efficient process
– Saturation vapour pressure over ice is less than that over water ice
crystals grow at expense of water droplets
– If ice crystal touches a droplet, the droplet freezes
– Once large enough, ice crystals – or clumps of crystals – fall past
droplets and collect them. Rapid growth of soft hail pellet (graupel) by
riming.
– Graupel falls from cloud, melting before reaching the surface as rain

32. Cloud Radiative Effects
• Clouds play an important controlling role in the
global radiation budget.
– Reflection of incoming solar (short-wave) radiation
– Absorption of both solar and thermal infra red (long-wave)
radiation (incoming & outgoing)
– Emission of infra red radiation (up and down)
• The altitude, type, and thickness of cloud, along with
that of clouds above & below determines whether
the local net effect is to warm or cool the air &
surface below.

33. Vertical Transport
• Deep convective clouds play a major role in
mixing boundary layer air – along with
moisture, aerosol particles, and gases (both
natural and man-made pollutants) – up into
the free-troposphere.

34. Chemistry
• Clouds provide an environment within which
aqueous phase chemical reactions can take place
within the atmosphere
• Aerosol particles can be substantially modified within
clouds
– Aqueous phase reactions with gases dissolved in droplets
– Coalescence of droplets brings multiple aerosol particles
together
• Chemically different aerosol may react
• On evaporation of droplet, a single aerosol particle is formed,
containing material from all contributing droplets

35. Climate Controls

43. Trends in annual diurnal temperature range (DTR, °C/decade), from 1950 to 1993