41
DAILYTELEGRAPH.COM.AU TUESDAY FEBRUARY 10 2015
SOME CLOUDY ART
KINDS OF CLOUDS
CLOUDS have been classified into many
different types according to their shape and
appearance and how high they are:
PEOPLE have long been inspired by the beautiful shapes of
clouds, often looking to see if they can find recognisable
shapes or admiring the range of colours and textures
produced by these floating bundles of moisture. Many
artists, writers, poets and musicians have created works
musing on the attributes of clouds. The Ancient Greeks
believed clouds were nymphs or magical creatures known
as Nephelae. Depicted as playful floating women in
diaphanous clothing, they also made an appearance in
Aristophanes’ play The Clouds. In 1802 poet William
Wordsworth published the poem I Wandered Lonely As A
Cloud. Many painters have been fascinated by clouds
including British artist Joseph Turner (1775-1851) who made
clouds a prominent feature in many of his landscapes and
also painted hundreds of sketches of just clouds.
HIGH LEVEL (ABOVE 6KM)
Cirrus: Thin wispy strands, curls or tufts
of cloud made up of ice crystals.
No rain.
Cirrocumulus: Rippled or mosaicpatterned clouds of ice crystals.
No rain.
Cirrostratus: A thin sheet of
ice crystals renowned for
optical effects such as haloes.
No rain.
Cumulus.
MEDIUM LEVEL
(2.5KM-6KM)
Altocumulus: Layered cloud with
elements of ripples but thicker,
shaded cloud that might produce
light showers.
Altostratus: A sheet of grey cloud that still
allows sun to filter through as if through ground
glass. May produce rain or snow.
Nimbostratus: Thicker, darker lower cloud that
may produce intense rain.
LOW LEVEL (BELOW 2.5KM)
Stratocumulus: Usually white rounded rolls of
layered cloud that may produce drizzle.
Stratus: A grey mass of low level cloud
that produces drizzle
Cumulus: Low cloud that forms
vertical rolls or towers with a
flat base. Produces showers
or snow.
Cumulonimbus: Large clouds
that form cauliflower shapes
or have anvil tops, that can
extend up as high as 16km
from a low level base.
Associated with showers,
snow, storms and lightning.
STORM CLOUDS
Slave Ship, circa 1840,
by
Joseph Turner, depicts
dramatic cloud formatio
ns.
DID YOU KNOW?
î The word cirrus comes from the Latin cirro meaning curl of
hair because cirrus clouds are often wispy and curl like hair.
î A strange disc-shaped hole in clouds over Perth in 2014
was later found to be what is known as a fallstreak cloud.
This is caused when an aircraft flies through a cloud
containing cold water particles and particles in the exhaust
cause droplets to freeze and fall because they are heavier
than the rest of the cloud.
î While rain clouds can bring life-giving water, some are dry
life-sapping disasters. Throughout history many volcanic
eruptions have released clouds of ash that have lingered in the
skies above the earth, sometimes for months, causing weather
disruption and crop failures.
Cirrus.
WHEN warm moist air runs into cold air it
can produce storm clouds.
SOURCES AND FURTHER STUDY:
BOOKS
Weather by Chris Oxlade (Hodder)
Encyclopaedia Britannica
WEBSITES
Bureau of Meteorology Cloud Types
www.bom.gov.au/weather-services/about/cloud/cloudtypes.shtml
Weather Wizkids www.weatherwizkids.com
1. As warm moist air rises it
gradually cools, causing its
water vapour to condense into
droplets, a process which
produces enough heat to make
the air rise even higher.
- NTNE01Z01MA
V1V1
- TELE01Z01MA
2. If there is enough moisture
in the air, the cloud can
continue growing until it
reaches the troposphere,
beyond which it cannot rise.
3. When the cloud stops
rising, it releases heavy
rain, snow or even hail
until its moisture runs out.
EVERY TUESDAY
Editor: Troy Lennon Phone: 9288 2542
Email: [email protected]
Design: Sarah MacMaster and Paul Leigh