![]() Notice how much more unstable the congestus skew-T is. The one on the left is for humilis, and the one on the right is for congestus. Take a look at the two skew-T plots below. The atmosphere above their LCL (lifting condensation level) is much more unstable, as as a result, the air parcel visibly denoted by the cumulus congestus cloud is a lot more buoyant. Just because a cloud is a cumulonimbus does not mean that it is producing lightning. ![]() Some people will tell you that cumulonimbus and thunderhead are synonymous, but this is not true. Smack these two words together, and BAM! you got a heapish cloud that rains. Humilis are known as “fair-weather cumulus,” because they are pretty short and fluffy due to a stable atmosphere overhead preventing them from growing them much further.Ĭumulus congestus, on the other hand, are the cumulus that have the potential to grow into cumulonimbus clouds that have the potential to produce vivid lightning, large hail, and even tornadoes. Cumulonimbus is a conglomerate of the Latin words cumulus (heap or pile) nimbus (water). For now, let’s just talk about humilis and congestus. Humulis are small and harmless, mediocris are slightly larger, congestus (also known as ‘towering cumulus’) reach high into the sky, and fractus are cloud fragments that have broken off from other clouds. There are four types of cumulus clouds: Humilis, mediocris, congestus, and fractus. Convective clouds are clouds that are formed by convection, which is simply the process of warmer air rising since it is less dense than the surrounding atmosphere. First, we’ll learn about some basic convective clouds known as cumulus clouds, and then we’ll learn about cumulonimbus clouds and thunderstorms. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |