Conditions for Cloud Formation Clouds are made of which 2 states of Matter? Liquid Ice CONDENSATION NUCLEI: Surface for water vapor to condense on (dust, smoke, salt) -How does this help the formation of clouds?

Other ingredients for Cloud Formation Air must be saturated Cooling leads to condensation 3. LOW PRESSURE Causes air to e x p a n d…cooling air to its dewpoint Cloud Video

Convective Cooling The lowering of the temperature of a mass of air due to its rising and expanding.

FORCEFUL LIFTING

FORCEFUL LIFTING 1. Frontal Wedging - a moving mass of warm air encounters a mass of cold air in its path and rises up over it 2. Orographic Lifting - An air mass is force from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain.

Forceful Lifting: Frontal Wedging

Forceful Lifting: Frontal Wedging

Forceful Lifting: Frontal Wedging

Forceful Lifting: Frontal Wedging

Orographic Lifting RAINSHADOW Effect

Forceful Lifting

FOG The result of condensation of water vapor in the air. Formed near the surface of the earth. Like a cloud, only lower.

FOG Radiation fog At night, layer of air above ground is cooled to it’s dew point Advection fog Warm moist air moves over a cold surface (mostly coastal)

Precipitation Work on 5.04 table Use pg. 489-493 Due Monday!

CLOUD CLASSIFICATION

CLOUD TYPES There are three major cloud types: Stratus- low layers of clouds. These clouds can bring light rain. Fog is usually a layer of stratus clouds touching the ground.

CLOUD TYPES Cumulus- mid-level clouds that are fluffy and have flat bases. Large cumulus clouds can produce thunderstorms. Cirrus- high-level clouds that are wispy. No precipitation is associated with these clouds.

CLOUD TYPES Cloud prefixes & suffixes: Cirro- high level clouds Alto- mid-level clouds Strato- low-level clouds Nimbo/nimbus- rain clouds Cumulo- towering clouds These terms can be combined to form several cloud names.

CLOUD TYPES Cumulonimbus- towering cumulus cloud capable of thunderstorms. Stratocumulus- low-level, layered and puffy clouds. Nimbostratus- low layers of clouds that are capable of bringing long, steady rain.

CLOUD TYPES Cirrostratus- high, thin layered clouds. These can form halos around the moon or sun. Altostratus- mid-level, layered clouds. These look gray/blue. The sun is visible through them. Altocumulus- mid-level clouds that are puffy. Cirrocumulus- high-level clouds that are puffy.