What are middle level clouds?
Clouds with the prefix “alto” are middle level clouds that have bases between 2000 and 7000 m (6500 to 23,000 ft.). Altostratus clouds are gray or blue-gray middle level clouds composed of ice crystals and water droplets. These clouds usually cover the entire sky.
What are the 3 mid-level clouds?
Next we will cover mid-level clouds. These clouds float in the sky at a height of 6,500-23,000 feet, this is way up in the sky just below where airplanes fly. There are three types of mid-level clouds: Altocumulus, Altostratus, and Nimbostratus. We will cover Altocumulus clouds in more detail.
What are middle clouds composed of?
water droplets
Middle clouds are composed of water droplets and/or ice crystals. Low clouds (stratus, stratocumulus, nimbostratus) can form anywhere from the ground to an altitude of approximately 6,000 feet. Fog is simply a low cloud in contact with the earth’s surface.
What is the most common mid-level cloud?
When viewed from underneath, stratocumulus have a dark honeycomb appearance. When You’ll See It: You’re likely to see stratocumulus on mostly cloudy days. They form when there’s weak convection in the atmosphere. Altocumulus: Altocumulus clouds are the most common clouds of the middle atmosphere.
What are the levels of clouds?
The 10 Basic Types of Clouds
- Low-level clouds (cumulus, stratus, stratocumulus) that lie below 6,500 feet (1,981 m)
- Middle clouds (altocumulus, nimbostratus, altostratus) that form between 6,500 and 20,000 feet (1981–6,096 m)
- High-level clouds (cirrus, cirrocumulus, cirrostratus) that form above 20,000 feet (6,096 m)
What are the types of low-level clouds?
Low-Level Clouds. Cumulus (Cu), Stratocumulus (Sc), Stratus (St), and Cumulonimbus (Cb) are low clouds composed of water droplets.
What are the 4 classes of clouds based on altitude?
Within each altitude class additional classifications are defined based on four basic types and combinations thereof. These types are Cirrus (meaning hair like), Stratus (meaning layer), Cumulus (meaning pile) and Nimbus (meaning rain producing).
What are cirrus clouds made of?
ice crystals
Cirrus is made up completely of ice crystals, which provides their white colour and form in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Cirrus clouds can also form through contrails, the vapour trails left by planes as they fly through a dry upper troposphere.
Which of the following is a middle level cloud type quizlet?
Alto cumulus and altostratus are mid-level clouds and they are between 6,500 to 20,000 feet. They are mostly formed of water droplets, however they can also be made up of ice if the temperature is cold. Altocumulus clouds are made up of water droplets and they are grey and puffy.
What are the 10 major clouds?
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.