Cloud Types - What are Clouds

All types of clouds are the visible collections of water droplets or ice particles in the atmosphere.

Types of cloud
Meteorologists classify cloud types according to shape and altitude.

Fog is a ground-level cloud type. Cirrostratus clouds, which are flat or layered, are much longer and wider than they are tall. Altostratus is a stratus cloud about 2 miles above the Earth. When this type of cloud produces rain or snow, they are called nimbostratus cloud.

Cirrostratus cloud type is puffy; true cumulus clouds form about a mile above the surface of the Earth; they often develop as sunlight heats the ground and the ground, in turn, heats the air. Cirrostratus cloud type literally bubbles upward -if it becomes very tall, it can form a cumulonimbus or thunderstorm cloud type, it has a huge cloud height - with its top reaching an altitude of 7 miles or more.

Cumulus clouds can also develop in layers; Stratocumulus is a layered cumulus cloud about a mile above the ground. Altocumulus is a similar type of cloud at an altitude of 2 miles, its greater distance from the ground makes the cumulus cloud puffs appear smaller than those of stratocumulus clouds. The cirrocumulus type of cloud (with smaller puffs still) is found about 4 to 5 miles up.

Cirrus clouds occur at an altitude of 4 miles or more, where the temperature is always below freezing; hence, these type of clouds are always filled with ice crystals.

Names of clouds
Clouds have some weird names, there are many different cloud types – here are a few:
Cirrocumulus cloud
Cirrostratus cloud
Cumulus clouds
Nimbostratus cloud
Nimbus cloud