Table of Contents
What is the altitude of a cumulonimbus cloud?
between 2,000 and 5,000ft
Cumulonimbus. Cloud base is typically between 2,000 and 5,000ft, though in some cases this may be lower or higher. These clouds are formed when conditions are such that deep convection is able to develop, and may have a huge vertical extent particularly in the tropics, sometimes reaching the tropopause.
Are cumulonimbus clouds high or low?
Cumulonimbus clouds are menacing looking multi-level clouds, extending high into the sky in towers or plumes. More commonly known as thunderclouds, cumulonimbus is the only cloud type that can produce hail, thunder and lightning.
What cloud is mid altitude?
Clouds of the middle level are usually of the altocumulus or altostratus type with bases normally in the range from 6,500 feet to 23,000 feet (2,000 to 6,000 meters).
What is the altitude of altostratus clouds?
noun, plural al·to·stra·tus. Meteorology. a cloud of a class characterized by a generally uniform gray sheet or layer, lighter in color than nimbostratus and darker than cirrostratus: of medium altitude, about 8000–20,000 feet (2450–6100 meters).
What level is a cirrocumulus cloud?
Cirrocumulus is one of the three main genus-types of high-altitude tropospheric clouds, the other two being cirrus and cirrostratus. They usually occur at an altitude of 5 to 12 km (16,000 to 39,000 ft). Like lower-altitude cumuliform and stratocumuliform clouds, cirrocumulus signifies convection.
Where can you find cumulonimbus clouds?
troposphere
Cumulonimbus clouds form in the lower part of the troposphere, the layer of the atmosphere closest to the surface of the Earth.
Which cloud is known a high cloud?
High-level clouds: The three main types of high clouds are cirrus, cirrostratus, and cirrocumulus. Cirrus clouds are wispy, feathery, and composed entirely of ice crystals. They often are the first sign of an approaching warm front or upper-level jet streak.
What are mid-level clouds?
Clouds with the prefix “alto” are middle level clouds that have bases between 2000 and 7000 m (6500 to 23,000 ft.). These clouds usually cover the entire sky. In the thinner areas of the cloud, the sun may be dimly visible as a round disk.
What level are altostratus clouds?
middle cloud level
Definition: Sheet of featureless, gray clouds in the middle cloud level capable of masking the sun. Description & Characteristics. Altostratus clouds are found in the middle cloud level.
How tall is the base of a cumulonimbus cloud?
For example, the base of a tall cumulonimbus cloud often forms below 6,000 feet and then builds upward to an altitude far above 20,000 feet.
How tall are the clouds at middle altitude?
3. Cirrostratus – ‘Stratus’ being flat layers of clouds and ‘Cirro” being high altitude; the layers are wispy and form a thin veil of coverage over all or part of the sky through which you can see the sun. Middle Altitude Clouds: are between 2000 and 6000 metres
What kind of cloud is a cumulus cloud?
Cumulus, which means “heap cloud.” From these basic cloud types, meteorologists further classify clouds by their altitudes: High clouds (cirrus, cirrocumulus, cirrostratus) observed over the middle latitudes typically reside at altitudes near and above 20,000 feet.
Can a cloud be classified as High, Middle or low?
Clouds of vertical development (fair-weather cumulus, cumulus-congestus, cumulonimbus) cannot be classified as high, middle or low because they typically occupy more than one of the above three altitude markers.