Clouds, Cloud Naming, and Satellite Observations

This set covers cloud naming conventions, specific cloud types based on altitude and formation, and the different satellite technologies used to observe them.

Luke Howard

Considered the father of modern cloud classification; he used four basic Latin words to describe clouds.

Stratus

Latin for 'layer'; used to describe clouds that form in flat sheets.

Cumulus

Latin for 'heap'; used for clouds that look like puffy cotton balls or white heaps.

Cirrus

Latin for 'curl of hair'; used for high, thin, wispy clouds made of ice crystals.

Nimbus

Latin for 'rain'; indicates a cloud that is producing precipitation.

Altus

Latin for 'high'; the prefix used specifically to identify middle-level clouds.

High Clouds

Clouds typically found above $16,000\,\text{ft}$; they are largely made of ice crystals.

Mackerel Sky

A nickname for cirrocumulus clouds because they resemble fish scales.

Cirrostratus

Thin, sheet-like high clouds that can create halos around the sun or moon due to refraction through ice crystals.

Altocumulus

Middle-level clouds that appear as larger, grayer, and darker puffy heaps compared to high-level cirrocumulus.

Altostratus

Middle-level clouds that often create a 'watery sun' appearance and typically do not produce shadows on the ground.

Low Clouds

Clouds with bases below $7,000\,\text{ft}$; include stratus, stratocumulus, and nimbostratus.

Nimbostratus

A dark, uniform gray low-level cloud layer associated with light to moderate continuous precipitation.

Cumulonimbus

A vertically developed cloud associated with thunderstorms that can extend through the entire troposphere.

Anvil

The flat top of a cumulonimbus cloud that forms when the cloud reaches the tropopause.

Stratus fractus

Also known as SCUD; these are fractured-looking stratus clouds near the ground that can appear scary but are not inherently dangerous.

Pileus

A smooth 'cap' cloud that forms above a rapidly growing cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud as air is pushed upward ahead of it.

Pyrocumulus

A cloud induced by intense heat from the ground, such as a forest fire or volcanic plume.

Mammatus

Unique bag-like cloud structures that form from sinking air, usually on the underside of a cumulonimbus anvil.

Lenticular Clouds

Stationary, lens-shaped clouds that form in the waves of air created when wind flows over mountains.

Contrail

Stands for 'condensation trail'; a human-induced cloud created by water vapor and carbon dioxide exhaust from aircraft engines.

Asperitas

A relatively new cloud classification characterized by a wavy, ripple-like appearance, resembling the surface of water.

Geostationary Satellites

Satellites parked at the equator that rotate at the same rate as the Earth, providing a constant view of one specific area.

Polar Orbiting Satellites

Satellites that rotate around the poles faster than the Earth rotates, offering lower altitude and higher resolution data.

Visible Satellite Imagery

Satellite data that records reflected sunlight; it is high resolution but limited to daytime use.

Infrared (IR) Satellite Imagery

Satellite data that records emitted thermal radiation; it is used $24/7$ and provides information about cloud top temperatures and heights.

Water Vapor Channel

A specific infrared satellite band used to map moisture and atmospheric circulation even in areas without clouds.

TRMM

The Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission; a satellite project that used space-based radar to study the vertical structure of storms.