Are Clouds Really Made From Mashed Potatoes?

Main Menu What Are Clouds? How Do Clouds Form? White vs. Gray Clouds Cirrus Clouds Cumulus Clouds Cumulonimbus Clouds Stratus Clouds Water Cycle Atmospheric tools

What We Will Learn What are clouds? Four common types of clouds What are the basic features of the water cycle? What tools are used to measure atmospheric conditions?

What Are Clouds? Clouds are visible accumulations of water droplets or solid ice crystals that float in the Earth's troposphere (the lowest part of the Earth's atmosphere), moving with the wind. From space, clouds are visible as a white veil surrounding the planet. Click here  main menu

How Do Clouds Form? Clouds come in many shapes and forms. Some are high in the sky, while others are so low they touch the ground. No matter what shape or elevation, clouds form the same way, by having water vapor condense onto small solid particles like dust, sea salt, and pollution. Clouds serve several important functions. One of these is providing rain and snow. They also help retain heat, so it doesn’t escape quickly back into space. On hot days, clouds provide shade. You’re so smart! Keep Going Click Me Click Main Menu

White vs. Gray Clouds Why do clouds turn gray? Clouds are made up of tiny water droplets or ice crystals, usually a mixture of both. The water and ice scatter all light, making clouds appear white. If the clouds get thick enough or high enough all the light above does not make it through, hence the gray or dark look. Also, if there are lots of other clouds around, their shadow can add to the gray or multicolored gray appearance. Click Main Menu

4 Cloud Types Cirrus Clouds (High level) Cumulus Clouds (Mid-level) Cumulonimbus Clouds (Mid-level) Stratus Clouds (Low level)

Cirrus Clouds (High level) Cirrus clouds are ice clouds. They can look like delicate white feathers or streamers. They are always more than three miles up where the temperature is below freezing, even in summer. Wind currents twist and spread the ice crystals into wispy strands. They are indicators of fair weather when they are scattered in a clear blue sky. Cirrus clouds Click Main Menu

Cumulus Clouds (Mid-level) Cumulus clouds are the fluffy, white cotton ball or cauliflower-looking clouds with sharp outlines. They are "fair weather clouds" and they are fun to watch as they grow and change in shape and size. Cumulus clouds make beautiful sunsets. Cumulus Clouds Cumulus Clouds & Sunset Click Main Menu

Cumulonimbus Clouds (Mid-level) Cumulonimbus clouds are a sure sign of bad weather to come--at least bad if you don't like rain and hail! These clouds grow on hot days when warm, wet air rises very high into the sky. Up and down winds within the cloud may push water droplets up to very cold parts of the atmosphere, where they freeze. When the ice drops come back down, they get another coating of water and are pushed back up to freeze again. Finally, they get too heavy to stay in the cloud and fall to the Earth as hail stones. Click Main Menu

Stratus Clouds (Low level) Stratus clouds often look like thin, white sheets covering the whole sky. Since they are so thin, they seldom produce much rain or snow. Sometimes, in the mountains or hills, these clouds appear to be fog. Stratus clouds Click Main Menu

Rain, Rain, Go Away! So what happens to the rain after it reaches the ground? How do we measure the water that has fallen? You’re doing great!!! Go to the next slide to learn more

The Water Cycle The Water Cycle (also known as the hydrologic cycle) is the journey water takes as it circulates from the land to the sky and back again. The Sun's heat provides energy to evaporate water from the Earth's surface (oceans, lakes, etc.). Plants also lose water to the air (this is called transpiration). The water vapor eventually condenses, forming tiny droplets in clouds. When the clouds meet cool air over land, precipitation (rain, sleet, or snow) is triggered, and water returns to the land (or sea). Some of the precipitation soaks into the ground. Some of the underground water is trapped between rock or clay layers; this is called groundwater. But most of the water flows downhill as runoff (above ground or underground), eventually returning to the seas as slightly salty water. Click Main Menu

Weather Tools The weather forecast that helped you plan activities for this week was probably made by a meteorologist. A meteorologist is a person who studies the weather. Meteorologists use many kinds of tools before the weather can be predicted. Thermometers measure air temperature. A barometer measures air pressure. A rain gauge is a tool for measuring the amount of rain that falls in a given period of time. More

More Tools… An anemometer measures wind speed. Weather balloons measure weather conditions higher in the atmosphere. *** Meteorologist place all of their data that they collect on to a weather map. Weather satellites are able to photograph and track large - scale air movements. Then meteorologist compile and analyze the data with the help of computers. Click Main Menu

What We’ve Learned Clouds are not made from mashed potatoes!!! Clouds are made from water droplets or ice crystals in the Earth’s atmosphere. Four very important cloud types that affect our weather are: Cirrus, Cumulus, Cumulonimbus, and Stratus. The Water Cycle (also known as the hydrologic cycle) is the journey water takes as it circulates from the land to the sky and back again. Meteorologists use many kinds of instruments before the weather can be predicted.

Time to Show Off What cloud type is common during severe weather? What is another name for the water cycle? What instrument is used to measure wind speed? A person who studies the weather is called? Clouds are visible accumulations of _________or __________. Which clouds look like delicate white feathers? _______ are "fair weather clouds" and they are fun to watch as they grow and change in shape and size. What is it called when plants lose water to the air?

Answer Key What cloud type is common during severe weather? Cumulonimbus clouds What is another name for the water cycle? The Hydrologic Cycle What instrument is used to measure wind speed? Anemometer A person who studies the weather is called? meteorologist Clouds are visible accumulations of water droplets or solid ice crystals. Which clouds look like delicate white feathers? Cirrus Clouds _Cumulus Clouds are "fair weather clouds" and they are fun to watch as they grow and change in shape and size. What is it called when plants lose water to the air? transpiration

Helpful and Fun Links Cloud Concentration Game Weather related Vocabulary Readers Theater Script: Water Cycle Adventure Standards: Identify cloud types, Identify & use proper tools to measure atmospheric conditions, Identify the basic features of the water cycle.