Quote:
Originally Posted by pgc hunter
This is off the top of my head:
High clouds: 8000m to 14000m
Cirrus (Ci)= high level wispy cloud. Indicates approaching cold front. Very high level, not uncommon to be in an airliner at 35,000ft and see these well above you.
Cirrostratus (Cs)= uniform, layer cloud that looks like a "blanket", usually very thin and allows some sunlight to pass through.
Cirrocumulus (Cc) = Appears as several very small "puffs", thicker than Cirrus and cirrostratus.
Mid-Level Clouds: 3000m to 8000m
Altostratus (As)= a thick, transparent layer that allows some sunlight to pass through
Altocumulus (Ac) = appears as hundreds of small "puffs".
Altocumulus Castellenous (ACCAS) = patches of cloud showing some vertical structure similar to cumulus, indicative of moisture and instability in the atmosphere. Often seen as a precursor to thunderstorm activity.
Low Clouds: 0 to 3000m
Nimbostratus (Ns) = rain bearing stratiform cloud, often uniform greyness. Occurs in unstable environments and shows more vertical development than stratus and stratocumulus. Seen on cold fronts. Rain produced may be rather heavy.
Stratus = (S)most boring cloud on earth, slate-grey layer cloud, may produce drizzle
Stratocumulus (SCu)= Similar to stratus but shows more vertical development, produces drizzle or light rain.
Fog = stratus cloud at ground level.
Vertical clouds: 500 to 20000m
Cumulus (Cu)= "fluffy" white clouds, bubbly in appearance and indicates some instability in the atmosphere. Size ranges from only a few hundred feet tall to several thousand. Often seen on summer days when rising thermals cool to the ambient dewpoint temp and condense into what we see as the rising, bubbling structure of a cumulus cloud.
Towering Cumulus (TCu) = massive, towering cumuliform cloud, often found near thunderstorms or themselves may form into storms. Usually contains heavy showers, with tops reaching well over 10,000ft.
Cumulonimbus (Cb) = thunderstorms, can grow to over 20,000m, but more typcally around 10-12000m. Known as "Charlie bravos" in aviation slang.
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In my opinion, this one wins - no sane person can list off all those clouds off the top of their head, surely. Oh, wait -you live in Melbourne don't you?!.
