Among the most beautiful wonders that we can appreciate from our earthly space are the CloudsThey are made up of a huge variety of exceptionally small water droplets or ice gems.
What is a biosimilar
¿what are the clouds? They are a piece of our skies from the origin of the Earth, they can be perfectly visualized because they are always above our heads day and night, however, not many people really realize what these things called Clouds.
Stop for a moment and look up at the sky so you can delight in contemplating that beautiful formation that exists only in the infinite sky. In addition to this, the question arises, what are they really? First of all, Clouds are considered Hydrometeors.
Now, what is a hydrometeor? It is about what is usually called fluid meteors, which are part of a set of water particles, solid or liquid, that are suspended in the atmosphere, very simple, isn't it?
As has been said, the Clouds are undeniable hydrometeors to the human eye, note that they are formations made by drops of water or snow gems, which likewise remain suspended in the environment.
When the Clouds appear gray or black, it is an indication that a storm is approaching. It is something that happens because they become excessively thick and very dense that daylight cannot cross them, at the moment when they stop being thick they look totally white since they dissipate that light that can be completely seen, giving them that white shading that makes them so attractive and charming.
Before breaking down what the types and classes of clouds are, the subject of how a cloud is formed must be addressed. In summary, it can be said that the Clouds they undergo a formation process due to the cooling of the air, through the accumulation medium of small vaporized particles of water or ice gems, which rise to the environment through the mechanism of evaporation.
It can be seen that all air contains water, which is an undetectable gas-like formation known as water vaporization. By the time hot air rises, spreads out, and cools, cold air can't hold as much boiling water as hot air.
So a part of the vapor accumulates in modest particles that slide remarkably around and structure a small drop around each molecule. The moment millions of these goths meet, they become a very charming extraordinary cloud, that is why a very good Environmental awareness.
From this point of view, they join with the so-called condensation nuclei, which are particles found in the climate, for example, pollen, dust, ashes, among others. They are other particles that assume a fundamental job to encourage the disposition of the water droplets that are the ones that form the Clouds.
The particles are minute to the point that they stay high with slight vertical airflows. At that time they remain suspended. All this depends on the temperature to which this concentration process is subjected, it will also depend on the development of the cloud and its attributes.
A very clear example is, when in the middle of this condensation process occurs at temperatures below zero, thereby allowing the Clouds to be formed by precious extremely thin ice crystals, in the event that they are created in warmer air, forming with lots of water goths.
Because they structure under very still air states, they will show up as layers and have a specific thickness. Meanwhile, those that form between many solid airflows and breezes can introduce great thickness and have incredible vertical spin at events.
Training processes
It should be noted that the Clouds originate in the midst of certain processes that are what will determine the many types of Clouds that arise from there, it is a process that allows the formation of three different ways:
Due to orographic rise
It is a process that occurs when the masses of fresh and hot air collide against a mountain or prominence, it can also be seen that this air that is mentioned rises, reaching colder flows that structure the layers, including Clouds whose development, as a rule, it amounts to around 3 km of elevation or less.
By convection derived by the air front
These air fronts are known as zones where air flows with different densities and temperatures come into contact. In case a current of hot and fresh air comes into contact with a current of dry and cold air.
Therefore, the formation of the recognized horizontal clouds arises, which are known as nimbostratus that are characterized by having a prominence of about 3 km, as well as the altostratus that are at a height of 3 and 5 km.
At the moment in which an agglomeration of cold air in total current collides with a reserve of hot and fresh air, it gives the formation of cumulonimbus clouds.
by warm convection
It is a process that occurs when a cluster of hot and fresh air climbs to cooler temperatures in the upper layers, thereby causing the development of large accumulations, it is something that happens well below 3 km in height.
Many situations can be observed, where the clouds can develop vertically in order to reach 10 km in height, thus transforming into a cumulonimbus. Since these Clouds are responsible for generating precipitation, in any case they are the cause of creating storms and solid snow blizzards.
The cloud isolates itself into two sections at the moment when a downpour appears, preventing the warm air from having any movement within it. The moment the cloud is isolated, the downpour stops.
General characteristics
Each and every one of the characteristics that the Clouds have are very important, such as that mantle that covers the skies of our globe, they are like dense pearls of water that accumulate in the troposphere, for this reason they are the only ones responsible for a huge part of the fundamental meteorological impacts that occur.
It is a remarkable arrangement of small particles of ice in its strongest state or water in its fluid state or both simultaneously, that is to say mixed. It is also considered that clouds can also contain huge particles of fully liquid water or frozen water and traces of mechanical fumes, steam or dust residues.
Clouds can be seen in such different ways, they change according to their nature, measurements, number and the spatial dispersion of the particles that compose them and the flows of the air winds. It can be noted that the shape and color shown by the clouds are in accordance with the intensity and nuances of light that it receives.
As well as the relative positions involved by the observer and the same light source as the sun, the moon and the rays in relation to the Clouds. It is important to emphasize that Clouds are formed by the accumulation of water vapor found in the humid air of the environment. In a nutshell, solar-driven heat transmitted at a surface level heats the water and causes the disposition of steam.
Which rises after encountering the lowest temperatures and undergoes the accumulation procedure. Another thing is that depending on the states of temperature, height, pressure and different components, it is noted that the Clouds have various forms, particularities and physical-synthetic properties, which is why they are organized according to various typologies.
Why are the clouds white?
as the light it goes as influxes of various lengths, each shading presenting its own special frequency. The Clouds can be seen in white, it is because there are so many tiny gothic water or ice gems, which serve to dissipate the light of the seven frequencies (orange, indigo, red, yellow, green, blue and violet), that when mixed serve to provide white light.
why do they turn gray clouds?
In the conformation of the Clouds, a process occurs in which very small drops of water or ice buttons, normally reach an excellent combination when mixed. When the dispersion of water and ice occurs, it is there that all frequencies are reflected, making the Clouds appear white.
From what you can see, if the Clouds get thicker or quite high, you can also see that the light would not have to cross them, thus allowing them to take on a grayish or dark appearance. At the same time, if many different Clouds are displayed, it would be noted that the shadow can add to the appearance of gray or various shades.
Why do clouds float?
In addition to the entire route that follows the Clouds, it can be delimited that the formation of a Cloud is made up of tiny drops of liquid water, which simply form a cloud when the sun heats the air.
This arises as you go up, keep in mind that the air gradually cools until it reaches the point of envelopment and therefore the water accumulates to form a cloud. Since the cloud and the air are warmer than the outside air that surrounds them, it is what makes them float!
How do the Clouds move?
Appreciate it well and keep in mind that the Clouds move in the breeze, in some cases they go more than 100 miles per hour. At the time the Clouds are stormy, they typically travel at approximately 30 to 40 mph.
Cloud formation at different heights in the atmosphere
First of all, it can be said that the characteristics of the clouds are established by accessible components, which include the large amount of water vapor, the temperatures at a certain height, the wind and the interaction that it may have with other agglomerations of air. .
How does fog form?
There is a wide range of Fogs that show up in various ways, it is to be understood that Fogs have a process of formation, particularly when the breeze from the south brings warm and sticky air to a place, perhaps ending a cold season. In these times it shows a lot Humidity.
That it goes as the wind gets hot and at the same time cool that it distills on the much colder ground, or precisely that the snow regularly blurs the dense Fogs.
It is also observed that hot sticky air cools from below as it flows over a cooler surface. In case that air is close to saturation, it is there where the humidity accumulates to give the wonderful formation of the Mists in all their splendor and beauty.
How many types of Clouds are there?
In accordance with their appearance, development and meteorological characteristics, it is noted that the Clouds are organized into four types of clouds which are very fundamental, their names were designated in the Latin language. They are categorized in a general way and distributed in many classes with very surprising names. Not like the long list of Wild animals, which does describe each one specifically.
As indicated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), these four fundamental types of Clouds that are recognized very simply, come together in up to 10 consolidated classes. So of those 10 classes, 8 are Stratiform Clouds, those Clouds are produced in correspondence with the Earth's surface.
The other two residual Clouds are called cumuliforms, because their development is completely vertical. There is also what is usually called Accessory Clouds. Which alludes to exceptional developments that are sometimes considered specific species or classes, but which are not recorded in this main order.
You will now be shown in a little more detail the four essential classes of Clouds: Cirrus, Cumulus, Stratus and Nimbus among them.
cirrus clouds
This type of Cloud is also known as Cirrus, the best expression in Spanish, it is made up of Clouds that have a white shape in whose outline forms are obtained in an extended and translucent manner, without the proximity of internal shadows, which is what allows the daylight in between.
They are usually shown as equal straight lines or with a crooked and normal shape. At specific points, they are designated as horse braids. Note that they are Clouds that are made up of ice buttons.
But in addition, they are at an exceptionally high elevation that reaches up to 8.000 and 12.000 meters above sea level, which means that the air temperature is extremely low.
This is why the ice gems that fall from these Clouds dissipate for a while before they hit the ground. It is so much so that these Cirrus Clouds are surprising because they have an amazing power that attracts the terrestrial heat that is eliminated in space and uses it as a radiant reflection of light during the day.
So it has not yet been experimentally characterized, just in case they have the ability to heat or cool the Earth. In the event that the sky is enveloped by these types of Clouds, it can very well show a great appearance that it has been painted with brushes.
However, it is believed that they are very common cases, it is really normal that in the following 24 hours there is a sudden change in the weather or that there is a drop in temperature. Depending on their appearance, they may be particularly named.
Cumulus
The beautiful Clouds called Cumulus or Cumulus, are recognized as Clouds that do not have a characteristic shape or a shape that defines and distinguishes them despite the fact that their base rises very flat, note that it develops vertically, giving a shape very tight in its roundness.
It is very important to clarify that it shows a thick appearance with well-defined shadows and edges, which are generally grayish in color, the appearance of this type of Cloud is like cotton.
It can also be noted that the Cumulus Clouds can be seen in large groups and rows, but in a unitary way. Cumulus Clouds are normally found at a medium/low elevation which would be 500 meters with a height of about 4000 meters.
These varieties of classes that are distributed in groups of Cumulus are very remarkable and that, in turn, are found in very distinctive forms that can be clearly seen as well as their design and structure that are totally natural, very much in accordance with the Types of environmental impact.
All this is depending on the different climatic elements, for example the humidity of the earth, the weakness and the warm slope, specific types of portions that can lead to heavy downpours, even storms and high precipitation measurements, while in other They are a sign of an acceptable climate.
Stratus
This class of Clouds are considered low, they are distinguished in the sky in the form of misty mist, their shading is between white and grayish, they can be seen with spots of various shades and varieties in grayish shading, their shape is irregular, it has no distinction that defines it.
They usually show up mainly in the months that are very cold rather than all in winter they can stay on all day, giving a nostalgic look to the sky with a shade of grey. They are generally achieved at low elevations below 2500 meters high, that is why they are classified as Very Low Clouds, they are the ones that cause fog and less precipitation.
They are Clouds that can be observed in the hottest seasons of the year, for example, in spring or summer, you can see them in the coolest hours of the morning and later dissipate during the course of the day. In general, they are indicators of good weather even though in specific events they can offer a lot of fog or drizzle, but this only happens in case it is at a very low elevation.
Nimbus or Cumulonimbus
Nimbus is a word of Latin origin that in Spanish is Nimbos, they are amazing clouds that you will not want to be in the street if you see them because they are the ones that cause those terrible storms or heavy rains. It should be noted that the Latin word Nimbus, means cloud of downpour or downpour storm, this implies the good use of the Latin expression to refer to the Clouds that are responsible for the thunderous rains.
It can be said then that the nimbuses are cataloged as those Clouds that have very little height, they have irregular and unpredictable bases, which can be seen in the grayish or opaque shadings with various tones. In accordance with their incredible thickness and darkness, Nimbuses are equipped to obscure the light radiating from the Sun, preventing it from reaching the surface completely clear during the day.
Nimbuses are actually referred to in a similar degree as Cumulonimbus, because they are of the same classification. When Nimbos is spoken of, it refers to a cloud of heavy precipitation. Now, when referring to this class of Clouds, we are talking about a Cumulus class precipitation. And when referring to nimbostratus, it is about precipitation Stratus type Clouds.
They are precipitation that can reach the ground in the form of a downpour, snow or hail, depending on the climatic temperature and the disposition of the clouds that have formed. Sometimes if the climatic temperature is high, it is conceivable that the downpour drops disappear before reaching the Earth's surface, it is an event known as virga, drops that fall but evaporate before reaching the ground.
These cumulonimbus clouds can also produce strong and thunderous electrical storms that include lightning and thunder, so much so that they can become considerably more extreme and careful weather conditions.
Cloud Classification
This classification is made from the 4 fundamental types of Clouds, there are classifications where only three are spoken of, that is because the Nimbus can be characterized under a similar classification of Cumulonimbus because they belong to the same classification. This type of classification is similar to the Taxonomic classification of animals, due to the specific characteristics that separate each of the types.
The joined classes are framed to separate one cloud from another, as indicated by its arrangement, height, and physical characteristics, such as its shading and shape. From these four types, a different classification of Clouds emerges in order to distinguish one from the other and to know them individually more explicitly.
It is clarified that from this grouping of classes, the 4 fundamental ones come out, which are Cirrus, Nimbus, Stratus and Cumulus, where the 6 main compositions are the following:
Cirrostratus
Keep in mind that Cirrostratus are formed by those Clouds that are prolonged with very common characterized edges. If they are appreciated well, it can be noticed that they can originate a crown of light relative to the sun or the moon. At a time when the sky is stacked with nearby cirrostratus, it is a sign of frightening weather due to storms or hot faces.
Altostratus
They are the so-called weak and translucent cloud blankets that show certain regions with greater thickness despite the fact that they do not prevent the entry of daylight. They have a uniform cloud cover appearance. The moment their appearance is noticed in the sky, they for the most part portend a drop in temperature coupled with light precipitation.
Altocumulus
Medium clouds are called, those that present an unpredictable structure with very significant undulations in the lower zone. As a general rule, they go before the frightening weather caused by downpours or storms.
Cirrocumulus
In addition to the beautiful route that follows on the classification of Clouds, mention is made of cirrocumulus clouds, such as those Clouds that present a practically constant layer, having a round appearance with fine roughness, like small cotton shavings.
They are those Clouds that have no extras and are shaded white. They usually appear blanketing huge parts of the sky, often referred to as cloudy skies. These usually show an unexpected change in the atmosphere in the next 12 hours and usually appear before downpours and storms.
Nimbostratus
It is made up of Clouds that present the appearance of an ordinary layer in darkness, very interesting due to the variety of its tones. They are formed by the exemplary Clouds of light or medium precipitation and the supposed cold downpours. Of course, depending on the territory, it is that the Clouds originate snowfall.
Stratocumulus
In this classification it is achieved with the Clouds that have wide undulations, formed in columns and that are found in a wide variety of faint tones with various shades. Stratocumulus speeds up from time to time, but it happens when this type of cloud transforms into nimbostratus.
special clouds
These species of Clouds are called mammothodontic because they are low projections slanting down from cumulonimbus mists. In general, they are connected with terribly bad weather, that is, bad weather is coming.
Here you can also show the Clouds lenticular which are caused by a design of waves and wind made by the mountains. They look like plates or flying saucers that are structured around the mountains.
Very emphatically, it must be considered that the Fog It is a cloud on the ground, which is formed by a huge amount of water droplets that are floating in the air.
It is very interesting to also mention the contrails, are accumulation remains left by airplanes in flight. These contrails are traces of the vapor structure when the hot and humid fumes are dispersed in the air and therefore mix with low vapor pressure, low temperature in the environment. This mixture is the secondary effect of the turbulence produced by the fumes of the aircraft engine in mid-flight.
The Clouds are unique in their formation and each one is distinguished by its characteristics that are very particular to them, in this case the Fractus Clouds which are small rough parts of cloudlets that are usually found below an encompassing cloud base. It is one that has become disconnected from a larger cloud and is cut by the solid breeze, giving it a jagged, broken appearance.
Another of the Clouds that are appreciated are the Green Clouds, which are often connected with a climate that would be said to be horrible, because it is bad weather. The green shading is not fully understood, however it is accepted that it has something to do with having a large amount of flowing water pearls and hail within the Clouds in its composition.
Unclassified clouds
There are other classes of Clouds that do not appear within the established classification, precisely because they are unique, which is due to the fact that they present some characteristics that make them exceptional Clouds and therefore are incredibly distinguished from the rest, or for the simple reason that they are they were created under certain particular conditions and are found in a very particular part of the planet.
Within this glamorous group, mention must be made of four of these Clouds, which are the ones for which a little more information is available, despite the fact that their arrangement is not yet so clear. They are the polar stratospheric clouds, polar mesospheric clouds, lenticular clouds, and morning glory clouds.
Lenticular Clouds are those that have states of saucer or converging lens, they are extremely visible. The most curious thing is that they are usually part of the Clouds of the cirrocumulus, altocumulus or stratocumulus family, despite the fact that the most widely recognized are the fixed lenticular cirrocumulus clouds (lenticular altocumulus).
They are organized independently, they have certain peculiarities from others. In general, they will occur in bumpy regions at high altitudes and in the seclusion of different Clouds. They are Fixed Clouds that are structured from a warm inversion in precipitated areas. Mountaineers know them and have them as a storm signal.
Their disposal procedure occurs absolutely when the upper layers of the atmosphere, the cooler ones that extend below, are heated by heat mixed with the dew that is on the ground. The thing is, if the ground freezes, those bottom edges of nature could be cooler than the top edges, a process known as warm inversion.
These are usually completely stable regions, which infers that when that air current hits the slope of the mountain and tries to remove the warmer upper air current, it causes the view to drop again, framing a fixed zone that becomes entangled. in the dew and gives a lenticular shape to the cloud that begins.
Glider pilots (non-mechanized aircraft, driven by breeze flows) love this type of cloud, since its disposition is due to the enormous vertical developments of the rising air, which they seek to lift the plane and increase its direction.
There was a world record for this type of flight, in the year 2015 by Klaus Ohlmann when he flew a distance of 3009 km gaining a height of 14,500 meters, it was a successful flight due to the great flow of air formed by this type of cloud. In contrast, pilots of powered aircraft refrain from flying when there are these huge breeze flows.
polar stratospheric clouds
They are called Polar Stratospheric Clouds, because of the beautiful variety of their very pretty pastel tones, they are also called Nacreous or Mother of Pearl Clouds. They are made up of ice shoots that go from nitric acid or water at a height of 15 and 30 km, they have barometric temperatures of around 80 ° C.
It is a type of Cloud that due to its development and the chemical reactions caused by the ice outbreaks that compose it, create a dangerous procedure in the ozone layer, by reducing the concentration of stratospheric ozone by responding with certain compound processes.
There are two types of Polar Stratospheric Clouds, the first begins with hydrated droplets in sulfuric acid and nitric acid to complete their formation at a temperature below -78 ° C.
In this other class of Clouds, it stands out that it has a formation with crystals of pure water ice, requiring only a climatic temperature even lower than those of the main type.
They are Clouds that can usually be seen during the southern winter or the boreal winter, in the Antarctic and Arctic territories. Their beauty is of incredible excellence, they present a variety of shades and pastel shades with magnificent and brilliant reflections. They can also be located in regions very close to the poles.
polar mesospheric
They are also called Noctilucent Clouds, the polar mesospheric Clouds are wonders of nature that take the form of splendid Clouds, they form in the highest outbreaks of the atmosphere, they can be seen in much of the planet towards sunset.
In general, they are made of ice gems and even studies have shown that they are also composed of a modest amount of dust from shooting stars and different parts that originate from outside the Earth's environment.
These Clouds are the highest in the Earth's atmosphere, they are found in the mesosphere at an elevation of 75 and 85 kilometers. They are Clouds that can be recognized when daylight focuses them below the horizon, while the lower layers of Earth's space are enveloped by what is known as the Earth's shadow.
Morning Glory
These types of Clouds are called Morning Glory (glory of the morning) they are a meteorological wonder that ends up being rare. They can be seen in northern Australia, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, the place where they can be seen between the long stretches of September and October, taking into account the appropriate weather conditions.
They are Clouds that are part of the landscape and way of life of the settlement of Burketown, the Clouds of Morning Glory are the perfect charm of the pilots of gliders as well as planes without engines in this area that are ideal for gliding in the middle of the Clouds .
The Morning Glory Clouds are a development of clouds in the form of cylinders or rolls, they have a length of 1000 km, their height is between 1 and 2 km. They can move at a speed of up to 60 km/h. They are Clouds that arise in the midst of sudden gusts of air, moving vertically through the flow of the breeze.
Regardless of being an extremely rare wonder and arising for the most part in this specific part of the world, this type of cloud has been located in certain districts of Latin America, the United States, certain areas of Europe and the United Kingdom, and different Australian districts.
skypunch phenomenon
The following note should be made, this Skypunch is not a cloud, it is a phenomenon that does not occur with specific frequency, it is generally surprising and even questionable. Keep in mind that a Skypunch is a wonder that occurs in Cirrocumulus and Altocumulus clouds and can be seen in the form of holes in the cloud that are mostly curved.
In the formation of this phenomenon there is a physical/chemical process that produces a domino impact when the ice gemstones are structured in the cloud, where the drops of water vapor that are next to these gems will disappear, leaving a kind of gap in the Clouds, which is profoundly amazing, totally impressive.
From time to time this wonder is questionable as due to its irregularity and peculiar appearance, they can be confused or attributed as "UFO" (Unidentified Flying Objects) even though it is still a wonder that includes physics and chemistry in nature.
Low Clouds vs High Clouds
The various kinds of clouds can be organized by their height, the way to distinguish them is by mentioning high clouds, medium clouds and low clouds. Vertically Developing Clouds are further grouped independently, whose elevation may contain the same or significantly more than Horizontal Level Clouds.
In the same way, there are Clouds that form outside the troposphere at many kilometers high, for that reason they are not arranged within the official names of the WMO. In this sense, they are ordered separately.
high clouds
They are those Clouds that constitute the official order considered Family A, they form at an impressive height that reaches 6 km, which can be found between 6000 and 12000 meters of elevation.
It is noteworthy that this grouping of High Clouds is composed of several species and variations of Cirrus (Ci), Cirrostratus (Cs) and Cirrocumulus (Cc) that group a sum of around 20 species and varieties in this conglomerate.
Medias
They are those Clouds that both their arrangement and height are considered to be approximately 2000 and 6000 meters. Family B is delegated to them, which predominantly has the proximity of the stratiform and stratocumuliform type Clouds.
In this family of clouds, the species and varieties are not exactly in family A, putting about 10 classes, including Altostratus and Altocumulus Clouds.
They are basically composed of water vapor pearls, although some can also have the proximity of ice gems in their structure. For the most part, they are given varieties and shades of grayish shades.
They can cause precipitation and be related to a terrible climate or they can be related to an acceptable climate, based on the different environmental conditions that occur at that time.
Low
This type of Cloud belongs to the C family, they have been characterized as low-lying. They are related to those that are framed and kept at heights below 2000 meters. This family includes stratiform, stratocumuliform, and cumuliform clouds.
To this family are added more than 10 species and varieties, among which mention is made of those that are Stratus, Stratocumulus and Cumulus. This class presents shaded varieties in ample shades of gray and white with fickle and characteristic shapes. They are responsible for the precipitation of the downpour and snow.
Vertical Development
They are the Clouds that develop or grow mostly with vertical height, they are called Vertically Advancing Clouds and are authoritatively delegated to Family D.
They have strong internal upward breezes, causing them to develop vertically, even many miles from the elevation at which they are created. These Clouds are the fundamental engine of precipitation and hail, they are responsible for causing strong storms.
Clouds outside the troposphere
These higher cloud types are understood to be outside the troposphere, which is the lowest layer of the Earth's environment. Therefore, these Clouds are ordered separately and are excluded from the families just mentioned.
In this characterization, the Nacreous Clouds are incorporated, which are structured and are found at heights of 15 and 25 kilometers above ocean level. Its disposition depends on ice gems and solidified water in suspension. Some even have a development with the proximity of nitric acid and sulfuric acid.
Importance
It can well be understood that the Clouds are very common and in most cases no attention is paid to them. We must remember that they are very important for planet Earth and for life.
In addition to influencing climate change, they play an important role in the water cycle, allowing rain and snow to fall into the environment and are very useful for life, both plants and animals, just for their development. . Clouds are a major component in controlling the Earth's temperature. Some add to the cooling of the Earth's surface by helping to reflect a portion of the sun's radiation back into space.
