How do clouds get their names?

How do clouds get their names?

Clouds are given different names based on their shape and their height in the sky. Some clouds are puffy like cotton while others are grey and uniform. Some clouds are near the ground, while others are near the top of the troposphere.

How are clouds identified?

Three levels of clouds have been identified based on the altitude of a cloudʼs base. There are specific cloud types associated with the low cloud levels. There are low, mid and high level cloud types. Determination of the amount of cloud cover is done by estimating the percentage of the sky covered with clouds.

What are the two ways used to name clouds?

Clouds get their names in two ways. One way is by where they are found in the sky. Some clouds are high up in the sky. Low clouds form closer to Earth's surface.

What are GREY clouds called?

Nimbostratus clouds Nimbostratus clouds are dark, gray clouds that seem to fade into falling rain or snow. They are so thick that they often blot out the sunlight.

Where did the names of the clouds come from?

Although Luke Howard's cloud names are now more than 200 years old, the naming of clouds is still going on today, with new names being added to the official classification. The latest is the newly identified cloud ' Asperitas ', from the Latin for 'roughened'. The name was thought up by the founder of the Cloud Appreciation...

How did Luke Howard come up with the name Clouds?

In 1803, British pharmacist and chemist Luke Howard devised a classification system for clouds. It has proved so successful that meteorologists have used Howard’s system ever since, with minor modifications. According to his system, clouds are given Latin names corresponding to their appearance — layered or convective —...

How are the different types of clouds classified?

The classification of clouds into types was first proposed by Luke Howard in 1802 and we largely use the same system today. This splits clouds into three main types - stratus, cumulus and cirrus. Clouds are continually changing and appear in an infinite variety of forms.

What's the name of the process in which clouds form?

This process is called evaporation and it's the start of how clouds are formed. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Alex Novati Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Alex Novati The air can only hold a certain amount of water vapor, depending on the temperature and weight of the air – or atmospheric pressure – in a given area.