TYPES OF CLOUDS

1
TYPES OF CLOUDS

• DO YOU KNOW THEM?

2
STRATUS CLOUDS

• The word stratus comes from the Latin words that
  means to spread out.
• Stratus clouds are horizontal, layered clouds
  that stretch out across the sky like a blanket.
• Sometimes, a layer of warm, moist air passes over
  a layer of cool air.
• Stratus clouds often form at the boundary where
  these layers meet.
• Where these two layers of air meet, the warm air
  is cooled. If the warm air is cooled below its
  dew point, the excess water vapor condenses to
  form a blanket.

3
CUMULUS CLOUDS

• The word cumulus comes from the Latin word for a
  heap or a pile.
• Cumulus clouds look puffy. They look like large
  cotton balls.
• They usually form when warm, moist air is forced
  upward. As the air rises, it is cooled. If it is
  cooled below its dew point temperature,
  condensation will occur.
• The size of a cumulus cloud depends on the force
  of the upward movement of air and the amount of
  moisture in the air.

4
CUMULUS CLOUDS

• The largest cumulus clouds are caused by very
  strong upward movements of warm, moist air.
• These clouds are the ones that produce heavy
  thunderstorms in the summer time.
• They may extend upward for hundreds of meters.

5
CIRRUS CLOUDS

• The word cirrus comes from the Latin word for a
  tuft or curl of hair.
• Cirrus clouds are very wispy looking and
  feathery.
• They form only at high altitudes, about 7 km
  above the earths surface.
• They are composed of ice crystals and are so thin
  that sunlight can pass right through them.

6
ACTIVITY

• Create your own cloud using materials at your
  table.
• Materials
• construction paper
• glue
• cotton balls
• glitter
• markers

7
ACTIVTY

• After creating one of the clouds that you learned
  about today, you will present your cloud to the
  front of the class and explain your cloud and why
  you picked it.
• Remember to explain when you most often see this
  cloud in the sky and what precaution to take when
  you see it.

8
ON YOUR OWN

• COOL WEBSITES ABOUT CLOUDS
• www.wildweather.com
• www.carlwozniak.com
• HAVE FUN!