Cumulus cloud

From Free net encyclopedia

Cumulus can also refer to Cumulus Media (also known as Cumulus Broadcasting)

A cumulus cloud (Cu) is a cloud belonging to a class characterized by dense individual elements in the form of puffs, mounds or towers, with flat bases and tops that often resemble cauliflower. They are formed in the troposphere at a lower altitude than altocumulus, usually below 8,000 feet (2,400 metres). "Cumulus" is Latin for "heap", related to "accumulation".

They occur at heights of 1,640 - 19,685 feet (500-6,000 meters) in elevation from the earth and most often occur scattered or in dense heaped packs. They are formed due to convection. Buoyant, upward air currents, known as thermals rise to a height at which the moisture in the air can condense. Because of this, they "grow" vertically instead of horizontally. For this reason cumulus clouds make excellent thermal markers for glider pilots seeking to stay aloft for long periods. Though most common in warm, summer weather, cumulus clouds can be formed at any time of year. The cumulus cloud can form a cumulonimbus cloud, which bring storms.

Cumulus clouds often form in anti-cyclonic weather but sometimes the descending air in the anticyclone produces an inversion layer which prevents the air rising to a height where its moisture can condense. In these conditions cumulus clouds do not form and the sky is cloudless.

Image:Cumulus clouds panorama.jpg

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