Each person saw clouds in the sky and roughly imagines what they are. However, what are the clouds made of and how are they formed? Let's try to answer this question. And although it is considered at school, many adults cannot answer it.
Education
Clouds, consisting of drops of water or ice crystals, are formed during the accumulation of vapor condensation products. What does it mean? When water is heated from the sun, some part of it is converted to steam, rises up, where it connects with other water vapor. As a result, they form a large or small cloud. It all depends on the volume of evaporated liquid.
Actually, now you understand what the clouds are made of. Basically, they contain water in the form of small drops or ice crystals. However, there is an international classification of them depending on their appearance, forms and height of education.
High clouds
Formed by oblique ascending or various air movements. Cirrus, cirrocumulus, cirrostratus clouds enter this category.
The very first (cirrus) are formed at an altitude of 7-8 thousand meters from the ground. They are usually transparent. The thickness of their layer can vary from two hundred meters to two kilometers, and the size of the parts can be in the range from 300 meters to two kilometers. Arrays of cirrus clouds can spread over hundreds of kilometers. And although they can be clearly seen from the earth, the sun and moon and stars shine through them easily. They do not produce precipitation at all and can exist for 12-18 hours or even several days.
Cirrocumulus clouds are found at an altitude of 6-8 km. They are small and thin, look like waves, ripples, flakes, they are also easily translucent by the sun and moon, stars, can be harbingers of the future curtains.
Cirrostratus are at an altitude of 2-6 km. They are a uniform veil without breaks, through which the sun and moon can also shine through. These clouds, consisting of small crystals, refract light from the moon or the sun when it passes through them. As a result, a multi-colored circle can be observed at the location of the light source.
Middle tier
The clouds of the middle tier can be high cumulus or highly layered. The former are almost always white, but may have a gray tint. What are clouds of this type made of? Basically, these are supercooled drops of water. The thickness of their layer can reach 200-700 meters. Despite the content of water droplets in their composition, they do not produce precipitation.
Highly layered at an altitude of 3-5 km. Characterized by a gray or bluish uniform veil. Most often, they cover the entire sky within the radius of a person's view. Their main composition is supercooled drops of water and ice crystals. The thickness of the layer can reach two kilometers, so the sun shines through, as through a very dull frosted glass. Considering what the clouds of the middle tier consist of, in particular, highly layered, in summer, autumn or spring precipitation can reach the earth in the form of small drops. But in winter, when the temperature outside is negative, they can cause snowfall.
Lower tier
There are 3 types of clouds in this category:
- Stratocumulus cumulus. They are located close to the ground - at an altitude of 0.8-1.5 km. These are gray and large clouds, which contain only drops of water. Their thickness can be 200-800 meters, and the sun or moon can illuminate through them only in those areas where the layer is very thin. Given their composition, short-term light precipitation may fall from them.
- Laminated are at an altitude of 0.1-0.7 km. These are clouds of a uniform layer, which most often have a gray color. They include water drops, and precipitation from them is quite likely. In summer it is light and very light rain, in winter - rare snow. The layer thickness varies between 200-800 meters. Given the thickness and color, the sun and moon cannot break through them.
- Layered rain clouds form at an altitude of 0.1-1 km, have a dark gray cover with a blue tint. Most often, they cover a large area of the sky, the borders of which a person does not see. The layer can be several kilometers. If you are interested in what kind of substance a cloud of this type consists of, then know that basically it contains large drops of water. Therefore, precipitation in the form of heavy rain or snow in winter often falls from such clouds.
Clouds of vertical development
The features of these clouds is that they are formed as a result of ascending air currents. There are cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud types that fall into this category. They consist of drops of water.
The first (cumulus) are formed at an altitude of 0.8-1.5 km. They are dense, have domed peaks and a flat base, covering almost the entire sky. Like most other clouds, these also consist of water droplets, do not precipitate at all, but can evolve into heavy rain clouds over time.
Cumulonimbus are located at an altitude of 0.4-1 km. These are very powerful and voluminous masses with a dark base, which from afar can resemble mountains. Their structure is fibrous. The upper part of these clouds consists of ice crystals, from such clouds precipitation in the form of heavy showers and snow in winter is possible.
Conclusion
On our planet in the clouds mainly contains water in various forms: gases, liquid, crystals. Fortunately, we live on Earth. Here, almost everything is surrounded by water. Imagine what would happen to people if they lived on Jupiter. After all, it is known what the clouds of Jupiter consist of.
Their composition is mainly ammonia, which for humans in high concentration is fatal, and its mixture with air is generally explosive. So it remains for us to rejoice that we live on a planet suitable for normal life, and not somewhere on Jupiter.