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Altocumulus (from Latin altus 'high' and cumulus 'heaped') [1] is a middle-altitude cloud genus that belongs mainly to the stratocumuliform physical category, characterized by globular masses or rolls in layers or patches – the individual elements being larger and darker than those of cirrocumulus and smaller than those of stratocumulus. [2]
The list of cloud types groups all genera as high (cirro-, cirrus), middle (alto-), multi-level (nimbo-, cumulo-, cumulus), and low (strato-, stratus). These groupings are determined by the altitude level or levels in the troposphere at which each of the various cloud types is normally found.
Altostratus radiatus cloud showing distinctive parallel bands. Altostratus is a middle-altitude cloud genus made up of water droplets, ice crystals, or a mixture of the two. Altostratus clouds are formed when large masses of warm, moist air rise, causing water vapor to condense.
The altocumulus undulatus is a mid-level cloud (about 8,000–20,000 ft or 2,400–6,100 m), usually white or grey with layers or patches containing undulations that resemble "waves" or "ripples" in water.
In the intermediate range, from 2,000 to 6,100 m (6,500 to 20,000 ft), [1] [66] are the mid-level clouds, which are given the prefix "alto-". They comprise two genera, altostratus and altocumulus. These clouds are formed from ice crystals, supercooled water droplets, or liquid water droplets. [1]
A mackerel sky is a term for clouds made up of rows of cirrocumulus or altocumulus clouds displaying an undulating, rippling pattern similar in appearance to fish scales; [1] [2] this is caused by high altitude atmospheric waves. [3]
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Altocumulus stratiformis is the most common species of the Altocumulus genus of clouds. [1] They tend to form broad layers of individual, cell-like clumps, often separated from each other, though they sometimes can coagulate into a larger individual cloud. They often have a vertical extent of less than 500 m. [2]