S07 → N400
The Spike of Fascinating & Unexpected
SPIKE 05
→ CLOUD.
© 1. Craig Lindsay — Mammatus clouds / 2. Glenn McCreery — Glaciating virga / 3. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) — Cumulus Lenticularis / 4. Mateo (@Fly_Agaric) — Lenticular Clouds / 5. unknown — Alocumulus lenticularis / 6. Franco Fontana — Landscape, Puglia / 7. Rachel Gordon — Kelvin-Helmholtz instability waves / 8. unknown — Altocumulus lenticularis / 9. Martin Koitmäe — Noctilucent clouds / 10. Kevin Gill — Great Red Spot.
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Clouds are classified based on their appearance, altitude, and the processes that form them. The main categories include high-level clouds (above 6,000 metres - or 20,000 feet), mid-level clouds (2000 to 6000 metres - or 6,500 to 20,000 feet), low-level clouds (surface to 2,000 metres - or 6,500 feet), and clouds with vertical development.
Cloud classification was invented by an amateur meteorologist and chemist named Luke Howard in 1802. Despite not being a professional scientist, Howard’s keen observations and systematic approach led him to develop the classification system that is still in use today, although scientific advancement helped refine types. Luke Howard categorised clouds into three main types: cirrus (wispy clouds high in the sky), cumulus (fluffy, heaped clouds), and stratus (layered clouds covering the sky). Howard’s work earned him the nickname “The Father of Meteorology,” and his contributions significantly advanced our understanding of weather patterns and atmospheric phenomena.
Among the great variety of clouds, “noctilucent clouds” are very distinct. These clouds form in the mesosphere, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) above the Earth’s surface, and are made of tiny ice crystals, making them glow in the dark. They are so high up that they can reflect sunlight long after the sun has set, creating a luminous display in the night sky.
Clouds also exist on other planets. Venus’s clouds, for instance, are composed mostly of sulfuric acid. They are made of dense layers of sulfuric acid droplets, creating a highly reflective and toxic atmosphere. These thick clouds cover the entire planet and contribute to Venus’ extreme greenhouse effect, trapping heat and raising surface temperatures to around 475°C (887°F). Venus’s clouds are also responsible for the planet’s bright appearance in the sky. The high reflectivity of the sulfuric acid clouds makes Venus the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon.
Unlike Earth’s clouds, which are primarily composed of water vapour, Jupiter’s clouds contain ammonia, methane, and various other compounds that react with sunlight to produce a range of colours. This results in the planet’s distinctive bands of white, red, brown, and yellow. The Great Red Spot, a massive storm larger than Earth, is a prominent feature in Jupiter’s atmosphere. It is a persistent high-pressure region that produces an anticyclonic storm that is the largest in the solar system. It is the most recognisable feature on Jupiter, owing to its red-orange colour, whose origin is still unknown.
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→ Sourced from: SYSTEM 04 (Poutchka Patrol)
→ Stored online: N400 Spikes Repository
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→ Search log: Google images / International Cloud Atlas
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