Clouds : Names, Shapes and Altitudes
Clouds are a complex product of our atmosphere. A cloud is made of water drops or ice crystals floating in the sky. There are many kinds of clouds. Clouds are an important part of Earth's weather. How Do Clouds Form? The sky can be full of water. But most of the time you can't see the water. The drops of water are too small to see. They have turned into a gas called water vapor. As the water vapor goes higher in the sky, the air gets cooler. The cooler air causes the water droplets to start to stick to things like bits of dust, ice or sea salt. Types of Clouds: Clouds are classified into four basic categories, depending largely on the height of their bases above the ground. It is very hard to just look up in the sky and determine a cloud's altitude. High-level clouds, called cirrus clouds, can reach heights of 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) and are typically thin. They do not produce rain and often indicate fair weather. They are usually made up of ice