Overview
Clouds on Earth form in the atmosphere from condensed water vapor. They are classified both by their location in the troposphere and by their appearance. Some clouds are low-level, with bases closest to the surface; others are mid-level; and others are at the highest levels of the troposphere. There are over 90 different types and subtypes of clouds.
Troposphere
The troposphere is the part of the atmosphere where weather takes place. On Earth, it is the lowest level of the atmosphere. It extends roughly from 0 to 12 km above the surface, and contains almost all of the water vapor. Temperature differences between the highest levels of the troposphere and the surface create convection currents. Those currents produce wind.
Low-level Clouds
The lowest-level clouds are from the surface to about 2000 meters (6500 ft.). Surface clouds are known as fog or mist. Stratus clouds are flat clouds that make up most blanketing cloud cover, cumulus clouds at the lowest level are fluffy and detached, and stratocumulus clouds carry the most precipitation.
Mid-Level Clouds
Mid-level clouds are usually between 2000 meters (6500 feet) and 7000 meters (23,000 feet). These include altostratus and altocumulus clouds. The thickest clouds are those that produce the most precipitation. If the clouds are not quite as thick and heavy, most of the precipitation remains in the sky and does not reach the ground. Mid-level clouds are hard to tell apart by satellite images alone.
High-Level and Mixed Clouds
The highest-level clouds form up to the highest levels of the troposphere, and occasionally into the tropopause. They are types of cirrus clouds, often wispy and made of ice crystals. Cirrocumulus clouds look like flakes or ripples, and cirrostratus clouds are a very thin veil. Mixed clouds can have low bases and billow upwards through different levels. For example, nimbostratus clouds carry heavy rain and extend across a wide area horizontally and vertically. Towering cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds are formed in convection areas and can carry thunderstorms, downbursts, and cause flash floods. On a weather map, they are associated with the most severe disturbances.
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