Clouds
On Earth, clouds are formed as a result of saturation of the air when it is cooled to its dew point, or when it gains sufficient moisture, usually in the form of water vapor, from an adjacent source to raise the dew point to the ambient temperature.
Clouds are seen in the Earth's homosphere, which includes the troposphere, stratosphere, and mesosphere. Nephology is the science of clouds, which is undertaken in the cloud physics branch of meteorology. The World Meteorological Organization uses two methods of naming clouds in their respective layers of the homosphere, Latin and common name.
Types of Clouds
- Cumulus
- Stratus
- Nimbus
- Cirrus
- Cirrostratus
- Cirrocumulus
- Altostratus
- Altocumulus
- Stratocumulus
- cumulonimbus
- Nimbostratus