Stratocumulus clouds look like patches of cumulus . Please be respectful of copyright. This lesson will introduce you to a type of low-lying cloud known as the stratocumulus cloud. This arguably makes for exciting time watching the sky. The menacing, magnificent storm clouds of Wyoming come to swirling life in this time-lapse, "Stormscapes," by photographer Nicolaus Wegner. If the cloud is about the size of your fist, then it is stratocumulus. Stratocumulus - Low clouds with irregular masses of clouds, rolling or puffy in appearance, sometimes with space between the clouds. Stratocumulus undulatus clouds, seen from an airplane, Stratocumulus undulatus asperitas clouds, seen from Earth, Stratocumulus duplicatus; Stratocumulus stratiformis (right) and Stratocumulus floccus (left), Stratocumulus Mamma is a type of mammatus cloud.[5]. (Optional) graph paper (for graphing temperature and/or pressure measurements). If How did this mountain lion reach an uninhabited island? You can use this dichotomous key to identify types of clouds. Stratocumulus clouds can be present in all types of weather conditions, from dry settled weather to more rainy conditions, but they themselves are often not the culprit. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. They are the following: From there, there are also an additional six supplementary features of stratocumulus clouds that include: Altocumulus clouds are the cloud type that most resembles stratocumulus clouds and since they also share similar features, species, and varieties it is quite easy to mix them up. Altocumulus clouds are relatively thin. Stratocumulus Translucidus consist of separate groups of stratocumulus clouds, with a clear sky (or higher clouds) visible between them. Make a note about what kinds of clouds you see. Stratocumulus Duplicatus clouds appear as stratocumulus clouds with two or more layers or sheets. What Are Climate Feedback Loops? Learn more about clouds and how they form on NASA Climate Kids. Stratocumulus clouds are hybrids of layered stratus and cellular cumulus, i.e., individual cloud elements, characteristic of cumulo type clouds, clumped together in a continuous distribution, characteristic of strato type clouds. Stratocumulus clouds are low-level clumps or patches of cloud varying in colour from bright white to dark grey. Stratocumulus. Updated: 09/26/2021 . copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Remember, if youre trying to decide between an altostratus and stratocumulus cloud, and the cloud being observed has been determined to have an associated cloud species, its not an altostratus cloud. Purple Sky: What Does It Mean? Go outside or look out the window toward the sky to begin observations. They also can occur under altostratus cloud preceding a warm or occluded front, when cumulus usually lose vertical development as the sun's heat decreases. What if we could clean them out? All rights reserved. They also can be formed by winds passing hills or mountains, such as Foehn winds, and in this case they can be very regularly shaped. Can have sharp well defined edges or an anvil shape at the top. They attract water vapor and as they ascend the vapor condenses to form liquid water or ice, which results in the formation of tiny globules called cloud droplets. CAPE - Convective Available Potential Energy. Altocumulus clouds | Center for Science Education You might already know what stratus clouds are: the flat, gray clouds that sit low in the sky. In addition, stratocumulus clouds would not reform until the CO2 concentrations drop to a much lower level. Maybe you looked at the shapes they formed or their various colors. Colorful clouds and calm water create a striking sunset scene for canoeists on Winisk River in Ontario, Canada. 2. A National Geographic team has made the first ascent of the remote Mount Michael, looking for a lava lake in the volcanos crater. High clouds are classified as either cirrus, cirrostratus, or cirrocumulus. Then, upload the information you collected to the Globe Observer App using the Clouds tool. Altocumulus clouds are about as wide as your thumb when you hold up your hand at arm's length. Have you ever looked up at the clouds and wondered what gives them different shapes, sizes and colors? Stratus clouds may produce a light drizzle or a small amount of snow. They share almost all of the same cloud species, cloud varieties, and other cloud features. Description & Characteristics. In that case, 1,200 ppm would be passed shortly after 2100.[9]. views 2,382,540 updated May 14 2018. stratocumulus From the Latin stratus, meaning 'flattened' or 'spread out' and cumulus, meaning 'heap', the name of a cloud composed of sheets or layers of grey to whitish appearance, typically with dark patches which are not fibrous. Mid-level clouds are usually gray and are identified as either altocumulus, altostratus, or nimbostratus. Additionally, stratocumulus clouds are generally darker than cumulus clouds. Stratus Cloud Facts & Formation | What Is a Stratus Cloud? - Video Cumulus, Stratus, and Cirrus. Are There Differences Between A Twister And A Tornado? They produce little or no precipitation, but sometimes indicate when the weather is going to change. Stratus clouds appear as a thin gray layer in the sky. If the cloud is about the size of your fist, then it is stratocumulus. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. stratocumulus. They come in various cloud species that describe forms of rising turret formations (castellanus), wooly locks (floccus), smooth lens shaped (lenticularis), layer form blanketing the sky (stratiformis), and even as a roll cloud (volutus). Other articles where stratocumulus is discussed: atmosphere: Cloud formation within the troposphere: are randomly distributed and as stratocumulus when they are organized into lines. Time-Lapse: Mesmerizing "Stormscapes" Dominate Skies, Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. If you have a barometer, measure the air pressure and write it down. Cirrostratus clouds are whitish and transparent and tend to blanket the whole sky, sometimes creating a halo effect around the sun or moon. Cumulus clouds that do not get very tall are indicators of fair weather. This often does not apply when stratocumulus is of a broken, fractus form, when it may appear as small as altocumulus. They occur at 6000-18,000 feet in elevation. You can even share your observations with NASA cloud scientists to help them with their research! They are low-level clouds that can be found between 2,000-6,500 feet above the. Nimbostratus clouds are generally featureless and dont have any associated cloud species or varieties, while stratocumulus clouds have plenty to go around. Youll see both of these clouds at the same altitude but you should be able to differentiate these clouds easily as stratus clouds are featureless darker clouds, while stratocumulus clouds have a surplus of features. They also provide precipitation and signal weather changes and patterns. So, if you're lying in the grass looking up, they might be some of the first ones you see because they are closer to the Earth. Cumulus congestus clouds extend into the middle troposphere, while deep, precipitating cumuliform clouds that extend throughout the troposphere are called cumulonimbus. No precipitation in most cases. Cloud Mathcing Teaching Resources | TPT Cumulus clouds are a cloud-spotting favorite: They are big, white, and cottony anddepending on your . (6,500 to 0 feet), are stratocumulus, stratus, and nimbostratus. A simple test to distinguish these is to compare the size of individual masses or rolls: when pointing one's hand in the direction of the cloud, if the cloud is about the size of the thumb, it is altocumulus; if it is the size of one's fist, it is stratocumulus. You might also be familiar with cumulus clouds. Altostratus clouds are the second type of stratus clouds. Altocumulus clouds are more closely related to stratocumulus clouds than they are to cumulus clouds. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Stratocumulus clouds can be present in all types of weather conditions, from dry settled weather to more rainy conditions, but they themselves are often not the culprit. Cirrostratus clouds appear as a slight, white veil in the sky or may be entirely invisible from the ground, with only a halo or spectrum indicating their presence. If they do grow tall, they can turn into thunderstorms. Cirrostratus clouds - Met Office They only occur when there are localized downdrafts striking through the stratocumuliform cloud. Stratocumulus clouds will usually be found in groups and very rarely will be seen as a singular cloud. [1][2] Weak convective currents create shallow cloud layers because of drier, stable air above preventing continued vertical development. cumulomutatus (cumut), This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 07:40. All stratocumulus subtypes are coded CL5 except when formed from free convective mother clouds (CL4) or when formed separately from co-existing (CL8). You should be able to tell the difference between these two clouds as there tends to be a lot of detail in stratocumulus clouds whereas altostratus clouds are usually fairly uniform featureless clouds. Clouds - Interesting Facts For Kids/Young Students. Hence, stratocumulus cloud formations are seemingly bigger, and are generally a bit darker than altocumulus clouds. Low clouds include stratus, and stratocumulus clouds. Hardly clear, climate scientists say", Clouds-Online.com Cloud Atlas with many photos and description of the different cloud genus, National Science Digital Library Stratocumulus, Muriel Martin Online Stratocumulus Cloud, WW2010 University of Illinois Stratocumulus Clouds, BBC Weather Centre Types of Cloud Stratocumulus and Altocumulus, Nacreous polar stratospheric clouds (PSC), Cumulus castellanus (unofficial alternative name for Cu con)), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stratocumulus_cloud&oldid=1138146699, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from September 2008, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Stratocumulus clouds are patchy, gray and white, and usually resemble a honeycomb. Stratocumulus can be abbreviated as Sc Cloud Color Light gray to dark gray Precipitation Potential Uncommon Sky Cover Mostly cloudy to mostly sunny Cloud Frequency Very common Stratocumulus Cloud Species Stratocumulus clouds have five associated cloud species: castellanus, floccus, lenticularis, stratiformis, and volutus. Just as the name states, these are a combination of stratus and cumulus. They form in the evening, when updrafts caused by convection decrease making cumulus clouds lose vertical development and spread horizontally. While both clouds are usually placed at around the same height, cumulus clouds tend to be singular clouds which should help you distinguish between them. A cloud at the surface is called a fog. This website uses cookies. These are some of the most common ones found in the sky, and they are easy to identify because they're big, white, and puffy. During the day they help protect us from the suns intense heat. The bottom of cumulus clouds are fairly close to the ground. 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: Lesson for Kids, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, Overview of Astronomy for Elementary School, Branches of Science for Elementary School, Overview of Geology for Elementary School, Wildfire Lesson for Kids: Definition & Facts, Why Do We Have Seasons? Altocumulus clouds usually form in groups and are about one kilometer thick. Those are called mammatus clouds. Monsoon Safety is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Altocumulus Clouds | Facts, Weather & Altitude - Study.com These clouds can look like cells under a microscope - sometimes they line up in rows and other times they spread out. Usually, stratocumulus clouds form from stratus clouds that are breaking apart.