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Nimbus is an ancient Latin word meaning “rain storm.” Rain or nimbus clouds tend to appear dark gray because their depth and/or density of large water droplets obscures sunlight.
Which term means rainy cloud cirrus stratus cumulus nimbus?
Nimbostratus. From the Latin nimbus, which means rainy cloud, and stratus. Stratocumulus. From the Latin stratus and cumulus. Stratus.
What are clouds called?
Names for clouds Stratus/strato: flat/layered and smooth. Cumulus/cumulo: heaped up/puffy, like cauliflower. Cirrus/cirro: high up/wispy. Alto: medium level. Nimbus/Nimbo: rain-bearing cloud.
Which clouds bring heavy rain?
Cumulonimbus clouds are associated with extreme weather such as heavy torrential downpours, hail storms, lightning and even tornadoes. Individual cumulonimbus cells will usually dissipate within an hour once showers start falling, making for short-lived, heavy rain.
What are 4 cloud types?
The Four Core Types of Clouds Cirro-form. The Latin word ‘cirro’ means curl of hair. Cumulo-form. Generally detached clouds, they look like white fluffy cotton balls. Strato-form. From the Latin word for ‘layer’ these clouds are usually broad and fairly wide spread appearing like a blanket. Nimbo-form.
What are tornado clouds called?
A tornado is often made visible by a distinctive funnel-shaped cloud. Commonly called the condensation funnel, the funnel cloud is a tapered column of water droplets that extends downward from the base of the parent cloud. It is commonly mixed with and perhaps enveloped by dust and debris lifted from the surface.
What are storm clouds?
Definition of storm cloud : a dark cloud which shows that a storm is coming —sometimes used figuratively Economic storm clouds loom on the horizon.
What is a cloud weather?
A cloud is a mass of water drops or ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. Clouds form when water condenses in the sky. The condensation lets us see the water vapor. Clouds are an important part of Earth’s weather and climate.
What are the 10 clouds called?
The foundation consists of 10 major cloud types. In addition to cirrus, stratus, cumulus, and nimbus clouds, there are cirrostratus, cirrocumulus, altostratus, altocumulus, stratocumulus, nimbostratus, and cumulonimbus clouds.
What do cloud names mean?
According to his system, clouds are given Latin names corresponding to their appearance — layered or convective — and their altitude. Clouds are also categorized based on whether or not they are precipitating. Convective cloud types are indicated by the root word “cumulo,” which means “heap” in Latin.
What are dark rain clouds called?
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.
How do clouds form rain?
Clouds are made of water droplets. Within a cloud, water droplets condense onto one another, causing the droplets to grow. When these water droplets get too heavy to stay suspended in the cloud, they fall to Earth as rain. All these forms of water don’t fall out of a clear, blue sky.
Is rain cloud one word or two?
a cloud or a mass of clouds that yields rain.
What does Alto mean in clouds?
– The prefix alto- means mid-level clouds, – The prefix nimbo- or the suffix -nimbus means precipitating, such as nimbostratus or cumulonimbus. – Stratocumulus are layered cumulus clouds. – Virga is rain that evaporates before hitting the ground.
What are snow clouds called?
Altostratus Clouds – Altostratus clouds, also known as snow clouds, are gray or blue-gray clouds that completely cover the sky. They’re made of dense ice crystals and water droplets that can precipitate either continuous rain or snow.
What are puffy clouds called?
Cumulus: Cumulus clouds are the clouds you learned to draw at an early age and that serve as the symbol of all clouds (much like the snowflake symbolizes winter). Their tops are rounded, puffy, and a brilliant white when sunlit, while their bottoms are flat and relatively dark.
What are nimbus clouds?
Nimbostratus clouds are dark, grey, featureless layers of cloud, thick enough to block out the Sun. Producing persistent rain, these clouds are often associated with frontal systems provided by mid-latitude cyclones. These are probably the least picturesque of all the main cloud types.
What do bubble clouds mean?
Mammatus clouds often form on the base of storm clouds but can be associated with other types of clouds as well. NOAA describes them as “in essence an upside-down cloud.” Mammatus clouds most often signal that a storm is on a weakening trend. These clouds are formed in part by sinking air.
Where is a wall cloud?
The wall cloud is defined as an isolated cloud lowering attached to the rain free base. The wall cloud is usually to the rear (generally south or southwest) of the visible precipitation area. Sometimes, though, the wall cloud may be to the east or southeast of the precipitation area.
Do cirrus clouds mean rain?
Only at very high altitudes or latitudes do Cirrus produce rain at ground level. But if you notice that Cirrus begins to cover more of the sky, and gets lower and thicker, this is a good indication that a warm front is approaching.
What is cloud metrology?
In meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of minute liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space.
What do cloud formations mean?
Though they look different, all clouds are condensed water droplets in the air. They form when warm, moist air rises upward. Except instead of spilling over the glass, the water in the air condenses around dust particles that are floating around. As these droplets build up in the sky, they form a cloud.
