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III.

STRATUS

Stratus clouds are low-level clouds characterized by horizontal


layering with a uniform base, as opposed to convective or
cumuliform clouds that are formed by rising thermals. More
specifically, the term stratus is used to describe flat, hazy, featureless
clouds of low altitude varying in color from dark gray to nearly
white.[1] The word "stratus" comes from the Latin prefix "strato-",
meaning "layer".[2] Stratus clouds may produce a light drizzle or a
small amount of snow. These clouds are essentially above-ground
fog formed either through the lifting of morning fog or through cold
air moving at low altitudes over a region. Some call these clouds
"high fog" for the fog-like cloud. While light rain may fall, this cloud
does not indicate much meteorological activity.

1. Stratus nebulosus
Stratus nebulosus clouds appear as a featureless or nebulous veil
or layer of stratus clouds with no distinctive features or
structure.[4] They are found at low altitudes, and is a good sign of
atmospheric stability, which indicates continuous stable weather.
Stratus nebulosus may produce light drizzle, or flakes of snow
Opacity-based varieties[edit]

Stratus fractus are not divided into varieties, but stratus nebulosus
on the other hand, are divided into two. The Stratus opacus variety
appears as a nebulous or milky sheet of the nebulosus species, but
are opaque enough to block the sun from view.[4] Stratus
Translucidus is another variety of the nebulosus species. These
clouds are considered more thin than the opacus variety because this
cloud is rather translucent, allowing the position of the sun or moon
to be observed from earth's surface
2. Stratus opacus
Vezi pozele de la Stratus nebolosus.

3. Stratus translucidus
4. Stratus undulatus

Pattern-based variety[edit]
Stratus clouds only have one pattern-based variety. This is the
stratus undulatus variety. Mild undulations can be observed from
this cloud, only associated by the nebulosus species. Though rare,
this cloud formation is caused by disturbances on the gentle wind
shear. Stratus undulatus clouds are more common on stratus
stratocumulomutatus clouds where the wind is stronger as height
increases.[
5. Stratus fractus
Stratus fractus clouds on the other hand, appear with an irregular
shape, and forms with a clearly fragmented or ragged appearance.[4]
They mostly appear under the precipitation of major rain-bearing
clouds. These are the nimbostratus clouds, and the cumulonimbus
clouds, and are classified as pannus clouds. Stratus fractus can also
form beside mountain slopes, without the presence of nimbus clouds
(clouds that precipitate), and their color can be from dark grey to
almost white.
IV. STRATOCUMULUS

A stratocumulus cloud belongs to a genus-type of clouds


characterized by large dark, rounded masses, usually in groups, lines,
or waves, the individual elements being larger than those in
altocumulus, and the whole being at a lower altitude, usually below
2,400 meters (8,000 ft).[1] Weak convective currents create shallow
cloud layers because of drier, stable air above preventing continued
vertical development.
Description[edit]
Precipitation[edit]
Most often, stratocumulus produce no precipitation, and when
they do, it is generally only light rain or snow. However, these
clouds are often seen at either the front or tail end of worse
weather, so they may indicate storms to come, in the form of
thunderheads or gusty winds. They are also often seen
underneath the cirrostratus and altostratus sheets that often
precede a warm front, as these higher clouds decrease the
sun's heat and therefore convection, causing any cumulus
clouds to spread out into stratocumulus clouds.
Comparison altocumulus[edit]
Stratocumulus clouds are same in appearance to altocumulus
and are often mistaken for such. A simple test to distinguish
these is to compare the size of individual masses or rolls: when
pointing one's hand in the direction of the cloud, if the cloud is
about the size of the thumb, it is altocumulus; if it is the size of
one's fist, it is stratocumulus. This often does not apply when
stratocumulus is of a broken, fractus form, when it may appear
as small as altocumulus. Stratocumulus is also often, though
not always, darker in colour than altocumulus.
Optical effects[edit]
Stratocumulus clouds are the main type of cloud that can produce
crepuscular rays. Thin stratocumulus clouds are also often the cause
of corona effects around the Moon at night. All stratocumulus
subtypes are coded CL5 except when formed from free convective
mother clouds (CL4) or when formed separately from co-existing
(CL8).

1. Stratocumulus stratiformis

Stratocumulus Stratiformis are extensive flat but slightly lumpy


sheets that show only minimal convective activity.
2. Stratocumulus castellanus

Stratocumulus Castellanus have stronger convective activity due


to the presence of increasingly unstable air. They are distinct from
other stratocumulus by puffy tower-like formations atop the cloud
layer.[2] They look like cumulus congestus, but can be easily
confused: "towers" of cumulus congestus grow above separate
clouds, whereas in the case of stratocumulus castellanus, there is
always a more or less defined layer of clouds. Stratocumulus
castellanus may develop into cumulus congestus (and even
further into cumulonimbus) under auspicious conditions. Any
showers from stratocumulus castellanus are not usually as heavy
as those from cumulus congestus.
3. Stratocumulus lenticularis
Stratocumulus Lenticularis are separate flat elongated seed-shaped
clouds. They are typical for polar countries or warmer climate during
winter seasons. They also can be formed by winds passing hills or
mountains, such as Foehn winds, and in this case they can be very
regularly shaped
4. Stratocumulus undulatus

Stratocumulus Undulatus clouds appear as nearly parallel waves,


rolls or separate elongated clouds, without significant vertical
development.
5. Stratoculumus radiatus

Stratocumulus Radiatus clouds appear as the same as stratocumulus


undulatus, but stratocumulus undulatus move perpendicular to the
wind shear, while stratocumulus radiatus move parallel to the wind
shear.

6. Stratocumulus mammatus
V. NIMBOSTRATUS

Nimbostratus is a stratiform genus formerly classified as


"Family C" low-level, but now considered by the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO) to be a middle- or multi-
level stratus type.[1]. Although it is usually a low-based cloud, it
actually forms most commonly in the middle level of the
troposphere and then spreads vertically into the low and high
levels. This change in classification would once have made it a
"Family D" cloud, but this style of nomenclature was
discontinued by the WMO in 1956. Nimbostratus usually
produces precipitation over a wide area. Nimbo- is from the
Latin word nimbus, which denotes precipitation. It has a diffuse
cloud base generally found anywhere from near surface in the
low levels to about 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in the middle level of the
troposphere. Although usually dark at its base, it often appears
illuminated from within to a surface observer.[2] Nimbostratus
usually has a thickness of about 2000 m. Though found
worldwide, nimbostratus occurs more commonly in the middle
latitudes.[3] It is coded CM2 on the SYNOP report.
Downward-growing nimbostratus can have the same vertical
extent as most large upward-growing cumulus, but its
horizontal extent tends to be even greater. This sometimes
leads to the exclusion of nimbostratus from the group of
vertical clouds by some independent meteorologists and
educators. Classifications that follow this approach usually
show nimbostratus as low-level[4][5] [6] based on its normal
base height range.
Species and varieties: Nimbostratus is very thick, opaque, and
featureless, so this genus type is not subdivided into species or
varieties.[7][8]
Precipitation-based supplementary features: Nimbostratus is a
major precipitation cloud and produces the virga or
praecipitatio features. The latter can achieve heavy intensity
due to the cloud's vertical depth.
Accessory cloud: Pannus frequently forms in precipitation and
is coded CL7.
Genitus mother clouds: This genus type can form from cumulus
and cumulonimbus.
Mutatus mother clouds: Nimbostratus can form due to the complete
transformation of altocumulus, altostratus and stratocumulus.

Formation[edit]
Nimbostratus occurs along a warm front or occluded front
where the slowly rising warm air mass creates nimbostratus
along with shallower stratus clouds producing less rain, these
clouds being preceded by higher-level clouds such as
cirrostratus and altostratus.[9][10] Often, when an altostratus
cloud thickens and descends into lower altitudes, it will become
nimbostratus.[11]
Nimbostratus, unlike cumulonimbus, is not associated with
thunderstorms, however at an unusually unstable warm front
caused as a result of the advancing warm air being hot, humid
and unstable, cumulonimbus clouds may be embedded within
the usual nimbostratus. Lightning from an embedded
cumulonimbus cloud may interact with the nimbostratus but
only in the immediate area around it. In this situation with
lightning and rain occurring it would be hard to tell which type
of cloud was producing the rain from the ground, however
cumulonimbus tend to produce larger droplets and more
intense downpours. The occurrence of cumulonimbus and
nimbostratus together is uncommon, and usually only
nimbostratus is found at a warm front.
Nimbostratus pannus is an accessory cloud of nimbostratus
that forms as a ragged layer in precipitation below the main
cloud deck.[12]
Forecast[edit]

Nimbostrati often have very few visual features.


Usually, nimbostratus is a sign of easily steady to powerful
precipitation, as opposed to the shorter period of typically heavier
precipitation released by a cumulonimbus cloud.[3] However,
precipitation does not occur at ground level in case of virga and
accompanies other cloud types. Precipitation may last for several
days, depending on the speed of the warm or occluded front it
accompanies.[9] A nimbostratus virga cloud is the same as a normal
nimbostratus cloud, but the precipitation is virga and it never
reaches the ground. Stratus or stratocumulus (comprising the warm
sector of a frontal system) usually forms when it clears.
1.Nimbostratus precipitatio
2. Nimbostratus virga
3. Nimbostratus pannus

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