1st introduction
The cloud is the condensed form of atmospheric humidity in the form of small little water drops or ice crystals. Being a large part of the atmospheric processes made visible by clouds. In addition, clouds are a station in the global water cycle where they take over the function of the transport. The condensed water finally reaches back the earth’s surface as rain or snow.
2nd emergence and function
As mentioned already a cloud formation through this arises of humidity climb. One distinguishes the clouds according to their emergence into convection clouds and advection clouds. Convection clouds arise from the vertical advancement of airmasses. This advancement is caused by the warming of the airmasses on the ground, warm air increases up and it forms an area of low pressure close to surface and a height high. These clouds have often rather seen characteristic moulding, her on welled up. Movement is forced to the advancement by mountains or by cold, heavy airmasses in hers horizontally result for advection clouds if damp airmasses. Through this slow advancement the airmasses can spread. One speaks about layer clouds, they are rather flat and sustained.
However, clouds are classified also independently of their emergence according to their form and their height over the ground. To this late more one.
Clouds take over in principle the function of a lid in the atmosphere. On the day prevents thick clouds and formation, that solar energy reaches the earth. You reflect almost the complete radiation behind to space and only a fraction of the energy arrives on the surface. So no warmth can arise at the earth’s surface, it is therefore rather cool on cloudy days. In the night the principle turns itself over. A beautiful warm summer’s day is accepted (without cloud formation). If the sun then has set, the earth’s surface nevertheless still hands in warmth like a straight hotplate switched off. The warmth can unhinderedly escape to space and it becomes rather cool dark if no clouds are there now. However, a lid is available, i.e. a closed cloud cover cannot so the energy escape and the night gets rather mild.
3rd classification
As mentioned already, clouds are generally classified according to their form. One distinguishes between 10 basically different cloud formations, the himself on three cloud stories of movements.
3.1 top cloud story
The upper cloud story starts in the polar region at approx. three kilometres height and reaches to up to eight kilometres of height. It reaches in the middle breadths from seven to 13 kilometres and in the tropics from six to 18 kilometres. The cloud formation of the Cirrus family belongs to these clouds. You are ice clouds which throw no-one or only hardly shade. Your appearance is feather like, often ordered in tapes or stripe. Hooks or whirls of air are often found on its edges. Meiß are bad betting offered services these clouds. Another cloud formation is the Cirrocumuli, the so-called cirrus clouds. Swabs stamp their phenotype small wadding, ordered into groups or patrols. The cloud formation to be discovered well most heavily is the Cirrostratus cloud. It consists of a whitish veil of ice crystals at which the light can be refracted which can lead around moon or sun for the formation of a halo merely. Attentive observers also can come into the pleasure of a mock sun event at this cloud form.
3.2 middle cloud story
This story from two to four kilometres extends in the polar regions in the middle breadths from two to seven kilometres and in equator proximity from two to eight kilometres. Altostratus and Altocumulus are on this cloud story at home. Altostratus clouds form a monotonous, abominable or bluish cloud layer which seems streaky from time to time. You often have one great horizontal extension and make the sun seem only diffuse. These clouds increase, so this is a clear sign for rain. Altocumulus clouds rather form heap forms which essentially are greater than the Cirrocumuli. You are spot or bale as grey in the sky to recognize. These bales further well up, it can come to thunderstorms.
3.3 lower cloud stories
This area is from zero to two kilometres over the earth’s surface. You colour dark to grey and do not have any uniform cloud base, called Nimbostratus or also rain layer clouds. A continuous precipitation can fall from them. The Stratus or also layer clouds then still are there. You are greyish and appear as flat ceilings. You are often less than 700 metres over the ground. From them fells only small rain (drizzle) unlike the Nimbostratus.
3.4 clouds with a vertical extension
Clouds of this kind are in 1600 metres up to 13 kilometres of height. Two main formations are part of this group. One most frequently sees Cumulus or cumulus clouds in the middle or at the end of a day when the sun’s heat produces more vertical currents of air. These clouds often have flat undersides and cauliflower like tops. Cumulonimbus clouds are cumulus clouds which are dark and piled up powerfully. The highest parts of this cloud formation often are as first prize spread one. Heavy showers of rain which are accompanied in some cases of thunderstorms fall from them.
