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Clouds of the genus nimbostratus tend to bring constant precipitation and low visibility. This cloud type normally forms above 2 kilometres (6,600 ft) [10] from altostratus cloud but tends to thicken into the lower levels during the occurrence of precipitation. The top of a nimbostratus deck is usually in the middle level of the troposphere.
These clouds do not last long, and they tend to change into cirrus because as the water vapor continues to deposit on the ice crystals, they eventually begin to fall, destroying the upward convection. The cloud then dissipates into cirrus. [75] Cirrocumulus clouds come in four species: stratiformis, lenticularis, castellanus, and floccus. [72]
Overlapping clouds (in meteorology, probably duplicatus clouds) are thought to imply eternal happiness [170] and clouds of different colors are said to indicate "multiplied blessings". [170] Informal cloud watching or cloud gazing is a popular activity involving watching the clouds and looking for shapes in them, a form of pareidolia. [171] [172]
Cloud species are a set of fourteen terms used to describe the shape and structure of clouds. Each one has its name abbreviated to a three letter term. [1] [2] [3]
Cumulus clouds are clouds that have flat bases and are often described as puffy, cotton-like, or fluffy in appearance. Their name derives from the Latin cumulus , meaning "heap" or "pile". [ 1 ] Cumulus clouds are low-level clouds, generally less than 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in altitude unless they are the more vertical cumulus congestus form.
the cloud IR emissivity, with values between 0 and 1, with a global average around 0.7; the effective cloud amount, the cloud amount weighted by the cloud IR emissivity, with a global average of 0.5; the cloud (visible) optical depth varies within a range of 4 and 10. the cloud water path for the liquid and solid (ice) phases of the cloud particles
Stratus clouds may also form from formation mechanisms that are not typical for the cloud type, for example, Stratus homogenitus, which are stratus formed by human activity, Stratus cataractagenitus, which are formed from the spray of waterfalls, and Stratus silvagenitus, which are formed by evaporation or evapotranspiration occurring in a forest.
Clouds that have low densities, such as cirrus clouds, contain very little water, thus resulting in relatively low liquid water content values of around .03 g/m 3.Clouds that have high densities, like cumulonimbus clouds, have much higher liquid water content values that are around 1-3 g/m 3, as more liquid is present in the same amount of space.