Clouds


	General Cloud Info *Why is the Sky Blue?* If you were to travel 20 miles or so above the Earth's surface, the sky would appear black. What happens during light's descent to Earth that makes the sky take on a wonderful azure hue? "White" sunlight passes through our atmosphere, and molecules in the air, nitrogen, are just the right size to scatter light from the blue end of the visible spectrum. The other colors travel to the ground. The blue light is scattered from molecule to molecule in the sky, until the light seems to be coming from every direction. *And Clouds are White Because...?* The water drop that make up clouds are much larger than the molecules that scatter blue light. The clouds scatter and reflect all the visible colors of light that strike them. Therefore, we have white clouds. But if the cloud is thick, light does not completely go through the cloud, making dark, heavy-looking cloud. *Why do clouds form?* Clouds are nothing more than water vapor that condenses and accretes into a visible form. The usual mechanism is for moisture-laden air near the Earth's surface to be raised higher into the atmosphere either by an encroaching air mass or the heat of the sun. As the air is lifted, the pressure drops and the air is subsequently cooled. The combination of the two causes water vapor to condense.						Cirrus, Cirrostratus and Cumulus Cirrus clouds are curly or fibrous. They are thin, often with "mare's tail" and can be found in altitudes above 18,000 feet. Cirrostratus are thin, wispy, and/or above thunderheads. These are found in altitudes above 18,000 feet as well. Cumulus clouds are puffy and piled up. Click on the image to enlarge


							Blue Sky and Distant Cumulus Cumulus clouds are puffy and piled up. These clouds are usually found in altitudes below 6,000 feet. Click on the image to enlarge


							Cumulonimbus Cumulonimbus are thunderheads found in altitudes near the ground to above 50,000 feet. Click on the image to enlarge


							Noctilucent Clouds Clouds at extremely high altitude, about 85 km, that literally (as the name suggests) shine at night. They form in the cold, summer polar mesopause and are believed to be ice crystals. Because of their high altitude, in a very dry part of the atmosphere, noctilucent clouds are rather an enigma and are being studied by a number of people around the world. Click on the image to enlarge


	More Info... *For more information, please check out the links below. Thank you for viewing my clouds page and have a nice day.* *Clouds by Carl Wozniak* *Shuttle Views by Pat Jones* *Noctilucant Clouds by Thomas*						Typhoon Odessa Odessa is one of the strongest circular storm patterns seen by shuttle crews to date and has a superb tightly formed eye. The tighter the eye in a circular storm, the stronger the winds underneath. Click on the image to enlarge


							Altocumulus Lenticularis Lenticular clouds form only over mountain peaks. Sometimes, they look like a stack of giant dinner plates or a formation of huge flying saucers. They can also look like a huge lid or a tall hat hovering above the mountains. The cause is quite simple. Winds carrying air over a mountain rise up one side, cooling on the way... Click here to continue Click on the image to enlarge

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