Clouds S'more

Dylan Black

High Clouds

Clouds found 6km above the surface, possessing a small amount of water vapor & low temperatures due to their high altitude. They are thin and are composed of ice crystals. They consist of the following three cloud types:

Middle Clouds

Clouds found 2-6km above the surface. They are composed of liquid water vapor, and consists of two forms of alto (middle) clouds:

Low Clouds

Clouds located 2km above the ground. They occasionally appear as individual clouds, but much more often are seen as general overcast. They are usually wide spread and are associated with somber skies and drizzly rain. These clouds make up this section:

Vertical Clouds

These clouds appear as entities with low bases that extend to heights as much as 15km. Their existence indicates very active vertical movements in the air where they can be found. They appear two different types of clouds, which are:


The occurrence known as fog, in which a cloud forms close to the ground, consists of four different types:

- Radiation Fog: Occurs when the ground loses heat through radiation, typically at night. The fog condenses in the cool air at the Dew Point.

- Advection Fog: When warm, moist air moves horizontally over a cold surface, such as snow-covered ground or a cold ocean. For example, when the air moves from over the sea to over the land.

- Upslope Fog: Also known as Mountain Fog, this type of fog is created when vertically moving, humid air cools while climbing a topographic slope, such as a mountain.

- Evaporation Fog: Occurs when water vapor is added to cold air that is already near saturation.