What cloud types form at or above 6000 m?

What cloud types form at or above 6000 m?

High-level clouds form above 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) and since the temperatures are so cold at such high elevations, these clouds are primarily composed of ice crystals. High-level clouds are typically thin and white in appearance, but can appear in a magnificent array of colors when the sun is low on the horizon.

What prefix is given to clouds that are high in the sky?

High-level clouds occur above about 20,000 feet and are given the prefix “cirro.” Due to cold tropospheric temperatures at these levels, the clouds primarily are composed of ice crystals, and often appear thin, streaky, and white (although a low sun angle, e.g., near sunset, can create an array of color on the clouds).

What makes up the middle of a cloud?

Middle clouds are composed of water droplets and/or ice crystals. Low clouds (stratus, stratocumulus, nimbostratus) can form anywhere from the ground to an altitude of approximately 6,000 feet. Fog is simply a low cloud in contact with the earth’s surface.

What are the names of the different types of clouds?

Just by knowing the three basic cloud types (cirrus, stratus, cumulus) and the four classifications (high, middle, low, and clouds of vertical development), along with their corresponding prefixes and suffixes, we can name lots of different types of clouds.

Why are high level clouds called Cirro-clouds?

High-level clouds: High-level clouds occur above about 20,000 feet and are given the prefix “cirro-“. Due to cold tropospheric temperatures at these levels, the clouds primarily are composed of ice crystals, and often appear thin, streaky, and white (although a low sun angle, e.g., near sunset, can create an array of color on the clouds).

What makes a low level cloud a low cloud?

Low-level clouds are not given a prefix, although their names are derived from “strato” or “cumulo,” depending on their characteristics. Low clouds occur below 6500 feet, and normally consist of liquid water droplets or even supercooled droplets, except during cold winter storms when ice crystals (and snow) comprise much of the clouds.