What do you know about clouds?

Question

Okay heres an yahoo geography question, to see whos the geography yahoo answerer of the month. ^ Like the question says give me anything about clouds.

* No links
* No chainmail
*No copied and pasted answers please.

Only in 100 words.

Lets get started :D

Answer 1

They look fluffy... sort of like marshmellows or white fairy floss... yummy!!

Answer 2

Clouds are formed when water vapor condenses into water droplets large enough to be visible. Condensation can occur through various different processes.

A temperature inversion - when its cold at the lowest part of the atmosphere and gets warmer with height. This prevents moist air masses from rising and the cold temp causes condensation and clouds - aka ground stratus or fog - mist.

Orographic lifting, as a moist air mass gets lifted by a surface feature such as a mountain it cools and condenses - clouds - and the main reason why it rains more in the northwest than the south east of the UK. Air generally travels across the atlantic and gathers moisture and hits the mountainous regions of the NW first. Can lead to stratocumulus formation, and lenticularis clouds which look like flying saucers.

Convection - this is when differential surface heating leads to instability, ie the temp drops fast with height. and so the areas heated more result in lifting of air, as the air parcel gets higher it cools and eventually condenses into cloud if there is sufficient lift. This is how Cumulus species of cloud are produced.

Lifting of air by a warm or cold front (created by a low pressure system), this is where a front of air lifts the surface air over the top of it and from this the air condenses into clouds, this is how stratocumulus can form, which can be mixed with normal convection to create a temperature inversion. A warm front lift the air slower with less turbulence which leads to smoother cloud formation, stratus.

I've only given basics, could go into precipitation and all that but Ill be here all day.

Answer 3

Cloud is an aggregate of very small water droplets,ice crystals or a mixture of both.Condensation of water vapour in the atmosphere produce clouds.The different clouds are,stratus, stratocumulus, cumulus, cumulonimbus, altocumulus, cirrus, cirrocumulus and cirrostraus.Cumulonimbus is the cloud which produces thunderstorm.clouds usually move along the winds prevailing at the cloud level.Cloud floats as long as the cloud and the air that it is made of, is warmer than the outside air around it.A cloud's colour depends on the cloud's relationship to sunlight and sometimes on the colour of the surrounding sky.

Answer 4

They are up there.
They block the sun.
They block the stars.
They block the moon.
They bring us rain and snow, and hail.
They let us know when bad weather is coming.
They are white, grey, or dark grey.
There are different types.
They are vapor, so you can fly through them.
It is fun to lay on the beach, and watch the different shapes.
The wind blows them around.
When the clouds clash together. They cause thunder and
lightning..
Best of all. They make "beautiful" sun rises, and sun sets.
To make for a Happy Thanksgiving, Have a good 1.<}:-})

Answer 5

The soft fluffy looking ones at 8.8km up are cirrus and can be a warning of early rain.
Small lumpy ones at 4.75km are altocumulus and appear late/early in day.
Altostratus are thin and layered, at 3.2km they obscure the sun and may lead to rain.
Cumulonimbus are the big lumpy ones from 2.2km upwards, these lead to heavy rain, thudder and lightning.
Cumulus at 2.1km are lumpy and mean fair weather.
Stratus which are layered at 1.25km may bring rain.
Nimbostratus at 1km are grey and layered - rain/snow.
Hope i've helped, and all under 100 words!!! =)

Answer 6

Bows and flows of angel hair,
ice cream castles in the air,
feather canyons everywhere;
I've looked at clouds that way.

But now they only block the sun.
They rain and snow on everyone.
So many things I could have done,
but clouds got in my way.

I've looked at clouds from both sides now,
from up and down,
but still somehow;
Its cloud's illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all!

Answer 7

You never find clouds on a clear day.
Dark clouds are usually a sign of bad weather.
An overcast day is usually always caused by clouds.
"Raining" bet there are clouds overhead.
Clouds are difficult to detect at night.
Storm clouds are usually a prelude to a storm.

Answer 8

There pretty, frightening, high, and low. They bring rain and shade from a hot sun. They have awesome formations and have a wonderful range of color due to the reflection of the sun,.

Answer 9

They are basicaly big poffs of steam, Clouds are created by evaporated water which has been evaporated in to the sky and it rains coz the evaporated water un evaporates and falls down which is rain....yeah.....lol, dodgy answer :)

Answer 10

1. they are water crystals in the sky
2. can name all the different types, and their respective weather.

and its not a geography (thats location), its meterology.

Answer 11

I have a cloud chart, I refer to this when needed.