Photo about Low altitude stratocumulus cloud under a blue sky, panoramic nature background. The individual elements are larger than those of altocumulus. More dramatic versions of stratocumulus clouds include (but aren’t limited to) chaotic and wavy features (asperitas), sac-like features (mamma), and can even have the rare kelvin-helmholtz wave cloud (fluctus) association. Nimbostratus clouds are generally featureless and don’t have any associated cloud species or varieties, while stratocumulus clouds have plenty to go around. A cloud that extends through all three heights is called a cumulonimbus. you get the idea. Hence the name (strato- and cumulo- are latin for layer and heap, respectively). s d d . The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this natural-color image on March 11, as a striking band of clouds ran roughly northwest to southeast over the open ocean.. Earth’s boundary layer extends upward from the land or ocean … Altocumulus generally forms about 2,000 to 6,100 meters (6,600 to 20,000 ft) above ground level, a similar level to altostratus formations, and satellite photography has revealed that the two types of cloud can create formations that can stretch for thousands of square miles. High, smooth clouds are called cirrostratus. These are cross-classified into a total of ten genus types, most of which can be divided into species and further subdivided into varieties which are at the bottom of the hierarchy. Clouds appear puffy and look like cotton balls, popcorn or cauliflower. Stratus clouds are found at an altitude of less than 6,000 feet (1,829 meters). Three levels of clouds have been identified based on the altitude of a cloudʼs base. … (6,500 to 0 feet), are stratocumulus, stratus, and nimbostratus. « Previous Next » Stratus – Low clouds, light or dark gray and generally uniform in appearance and covering most of the sky. These clouds can look like cells under a microscope - sometimes they line up in rows and other times they spread out. On the contrary, stratocumulus clouds can contain plenty of features. Stratocumulus stratiformis - The most common cloud type across the globe, these are essentially flat-based layers of cloud often with a few cracks between. Weak convective currents create shallow cloud layers because of drier, stable air above … Fog is a stratus cloud. Get the 80+ page ebook straight into your inbox for free. Hence, stratocumulus cloud formations are seemingly bigger, and are generally a bit darker than altocumulus clouds. This means the temperature decreases at the dry adiabatic lapse rate of 3°C for every 1,000 feet gain in altitude. 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). f g y . Description & Characteristics. Het woord komt van het Latijnse stratus (gelaagd) en cumulus (gestapeld).. Deze wolkvorm heeft vele flarden die verschillen in zichtbaarheid, met af en toe stukken heldere hemel. A stratocumulus cloud belongs to a class of clouds characterized by large dark, rounded masses, usually in groups, lines, or waves, the individual elements being larger than those in altocumuli, and the whole being at a lower altitude, usually below 2,400 m (8,000 ft). The type called simply stratus forms a low layer of gray extending over a large area. As a consequence, the two are often confused. Category: stratocumulus photo. Stratocumulus usually occurs below 2 km (6500 ft). Image of stratocumulus, calm, abstract - 185152494 They’re a layer of puffy clouds, and can usually be found joined together, similar to altocumulus clouds. Similar to altocumulus, stratocumulus clouds come in many different shapes and sizes and have a handful of associated species, varieties, and features, more than any of the ten main cloud types in fact. Cirrostratus ("curl layer") clouds form a high, thin layer often covering the entire sky (but without the wispy curls of ice crystals that give pure cirrus clouds their name). Both stratocumulus and stratus clouds are found at the same altitude. He noticed that clouds often have features of two or more categories; cirrus + stratus, cumulus + stratus, etc. However, stratocumulus looks very much the same as altocumulus, the primary difference being larger size of the individual elements. See more. Stratocumulus is a member of the ten fundamental cloud types (or cloud genera). A cloud at the surface is called a fog. )It is characterized by broken law cloudiness and strong gradients of low-level cloud amount. Stratocumulus clouds have six supplementary features: asperitas, cavum, fluctus, mamma, praecipitatio, and virga. A stratocumulus cloud belongs to a class of clouds characterized by large dark, rounded masses, usually in groups, lines, or waves, the individual elements being larger than those in altocumuli, and the whole being at a lower altitude, usually below 2,400 m (8,000 ft).Weak convective currents create shallow cloud layers because of drier, stable air above preventing continued vertical … The photo "stratocumulus smoke clouds" is free for private or commercial use. A characteristic of this cloud is Coronae - one or more coloured rings around the sun or moon when viewed from below the cloud. High-Altitude Clouds The highest tropospheric clouds range from altitudes of about 7 km (20,000 ft) to 18 km (60,000 ft) above sea level.They are named with words that begin with the prefix cirr– from the Latin word cirrus, meaning “curly.”Wispy, web-like cirrus clouds are commonly seen. However, stratocumulus looks very much the same as altocumulus, the primary difference being larger size of the individual elements. 2. Stratocumulus lenticularis undulatus (Sc len un), Stratocumulus stratiformis opacus (Sc str op), © 2021 Why So Cirrus, LLC – All Rights Reserved -, …………… Derives from strato-, meaning layer, and cumulo-, meaning heap, ………… Stratocumulus can be abbreviated as Sc. Stratus clouds are sometimes responsible for producing fog like conditions when they get close to the ground. s d n . Both clouds don’t share any of the same cloud species, which can help you decide between the two. The Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) involved coordinated measurements from aircraft, satellites, ships, and islands in the area of Azores and Madeira Islands (Fig. It’s fair to say that stratocumulus clouds are diverse as they’re capable of many different looks. This page was last edited on 2 April 2019, at 18:36. A stratocumulus cloud belongs to a genus-type of clouds characterized by large dark, rounded masses, usually in groups, lines, or waves, the individual elements being larger than those in altocumulus, and the whole being at a lower altitude, usually below 2,400 m (8,000 ft).Weak convective currents create shallow cloud layers because of drier, stable air above … In a lot of ways, these clouds are like altocumulus clouds, but much closer to the ground. Stratocumulus forms at a lower altitude than does altocumulus, usually below 2,400 meters (8,000 ft). The genera names are all formed from the same five latin terms — cirro, cumulo, strato, nimbo, alto — which are mixed and matched to create names like cumulonimbus, cirrostratus, cirrocumuus…. Marine stratocumulus clouds stretched across the southern Indian Ocean in early March 2013. A cloud is a visible accumulation of minute droplets of wate, ice crystals, or both, suspended in the air. Cloud Level. If any part of a cumulus cloud is at your altitude or higher, no surprise, stay away, especially if you aren’t IFR rated and on an IFR flight plan. Both stratocumulus and cumulus clouds are found at the same height, but stratocumulus clouds are more of a layer cloud than a cumulus cloud, usually found in conjoined groups or clumps of clouds. If you wish to contribute or participate in the discussions about articles you are invited to join SKYbrary as a registered user. 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. (The climatology of this region was discussed in Section 2. A stratocumulus cloud belongs to a class characterized by large dark, rounded masses, usually in groups, lines, or waves, the individual elements being larger than those in altocumuli, and the whole being at a lower altitude, usually below 2,400 m (8,000 ft). Their altitude however differentiates them the most, with stratocumulus clouds being closer to the ground. Both stratocumulus and stratus clouds are found at the same altitude. Though they vary in shape and size, all clouds are basically formed in the same way through the vertical of air above the condensation level. Cloud Observation Basics . Stratocumulus also can be thought of as a layer of cloud clumps with thick and thin areas. ALTITUDE WITHIN THE TROPOSPHERE: (altitude above the surface, not elevation relative to sea level) low-level clouds - these are clouds typically below 2,000 meters or 6,500 feet.---- examples include stratus, cumulus, stratocumulus, and nimbostratus clouds. They share almost all of the same cloud species, cloud varieties, and other cloud features. Stratocumulus clouds are found at an altitude of less than 6,500 feet (1,081 meters). This arguably makes for exciting time watching the sky. The remaining cumuliform (cumulus) and stratocumuliform (stratocumulus, altocumulus, and cirrocumulus) clouds have the least in common with nimbus. Stratocumulus are very large clouds formed by convective masses of air at about 2400 mt of altitude or below. Of the non-stratiform clouds, cumulonimbus and cumulus congestus are the most closely related to nimbostratus because of their vertical extent and ability to produce moderate to heavy precipitation. They are similar to altocumulus clouds, which develop at medium level, but they are bigger. It is a low-level cloud, thus it usually forms within the lowest two kilometers (6,600 ft) of the atmosphere. Stratocumulus forms at a lower altitude than does altocumulus, usually below 2,400 meters (8,000 ft). Stratocumulus cumulogenitus - These form when rising cumulus clouds encounter a temperature inversion (a warming of the air above) and spread outwards, clumping together. Hence, stratocumulus cloud formations are seemingly bigger, and are generally a bit darker than altocumulus clouds. Stratocumulus clouds are characterized by large dark and rounded masses which normally form in groups, lines, or waves. It’s also important to note that both clouds don’t share any cloud species or varieties besides the radiatus cloud variety. Location: Worldwide – very common Precipitation: Occasional light rain, snow ype. Stratocumulus clouds have seven associated cloud species: duplicatus, lacunosus, opacus, perlucidus, radiatus, translucidus, and undulatus. 33). Cloud Cover . Tropospheric classification is based on a hierarchy of categories with physical forms and altitude levels at the top. 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