Clouds are collections of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the Earth’s atmosphere. Clouds are categorized into many types, but not all of them produce rain.
We see clouds in the sky every day, but not everyone knows that there are many types of clouds, each with its own characteristics that can even help us forecast the weather.
In addition to being a planet that is 75% water, one of the other prominent features of our planet is the layer of clouds that envelops the Earth. These clouds are constantly changing, appearing and disappearing each day.
What are the main types of clouds?
Although clouds can come in any size or shape, they tend to resemble basic forms. Luke Howard, in his work “Essay on the Changes of Clouds” (1865), classified clouds into three main groups: cirrus, cumulus, and stratus.
The first type, cirrus, derives its name from the Latin word meaning “curl of hair.” These round, white clouds resemble tufts of hair.
They are high-altitude clouds, typically forming at heights of about 6.2 to 13.7 kilometers. They are composed of ice crystals and tend to be found high in the atmosphere, often appearing ahead of low-pressure areas like mid-latitude storm systems or tropical storm systems. Their delicate, feather-like shapes result from swirling winds that spread the ice crystals into strands.
The second type, cumulus, is more accurately referred to as “cumulus clouds.” These are distinct clouds that look like fluffy white cotton balls. They are low-level clouds that form at altitudes of about 1.9 kilometers or lower. They indicate how air in the atmosphere moves up and down or rises due to heat. Most of them appear dense. Cumulus clouds tend to have flat bases, where moisture in the air rises and condenses.
There are many “subtypes” of clouds, but they all fundamentally belong to one of the primary types mentioned above. The sub-classifications of clouds are generally based on their altitude above the ground.
10 Different Types of Clouds
The World Meteorological Organization’s international cloud atlas indicates that there are over 100 different types of clouds. This number is quite large, but they can all be categorized into one of 10 basic types based on their shape and altitude in the sky. These include cumulonimbus clouds and stratus clouds at altitudes below 1.9 kilometers.
Mid-level clouds include altostratus, altocumulus, and stratocumulus, forming at altitudes from 1.8 kilometers to 6 kilometers. Cirrus, cirrocumulus, and cirrostratus clouds are high-altitude clouds forming at heights above 6 kilometers.
Delving deeper into the details, we have the following types of clouds:
- 1. Cumulus (Cumulus) is the “classic” and most common type of cloud.
- 2. Stratus (Stratus)
- 3. Stratocumulus (Stratocumulus)
- 4. Altocumulus (Altocumulus)
- 5. Nimbostratus (Nimbostratus) typically brings rain.
- 6. Altostratus (Altostratus) forms mid-level clouds.
- 7. Cirrus (Cirrus) is made of ice crystals.
- 8. Cirrocumulus (Cirrocumulus)
- 9. Cirrostratus (Cirrostratus) can create halos around the sun.
- 10. Cumulonimbus (Cumulonimbus)
Distinguishing clouds on Earth.
