Cirrocumulus cloud
Encyclopedia
Cirrocumulus clouds are one of the three main types of high-altitude clouds, which also includes cirrus cloud
s and cirrostratus cloud
s. They usually occur at an altitude of 5 kilometres (16,404.2 ft) to 12 kilometres (39,370.1 ft). Like other cumulus clouds, cirrocumulus clouds signify convection
. Unlike other cirrus cloud
s, cirrocumulus include a small amount of liquid water droplets, although these are in a supercooled state. Ice crystals are the predominant component, and typically, the ice crystals cause the supercooled water drops in the cloud to rapidly freeze, transforming the cirrocumulus into cirrostratus. This process can also produce precipitation in the form of a virga
consisting of ice or snow. Thus cirrocumulus clouds are usually short-lived.
Properly, the term cirrocumulus refers to each cloud, but is typically also used to refer to an entire patch of cirrocumulus. When used in this way, each cirrocumulus element is referred to as a "cloudlet".
The cirrocumulus is distinguished from the not so similar altocumulus in several ways, although the two cloud types can occasionally occur together with no clear demarcation between them. Cirrocumulus generally occur at higher altitudes than altocumulus, and thus the "cloudlets" appear smaller as they are more distant from observation at ground level. They are also colder. Cirrocumulus clouds never cast self-shadows and are translucent to a certain degree. They are also typically found amongst other cirrus clouds in the sky, and are usually themselves seen to be transforming into these other types of cirrus.
Cirrocumulus clouds tend to reflect the red and yellow colors during a sunset and sunrise, and thus they have been referred to as "one of the most beautiful clouds". This occurs because they reflect the unscattered rays of light from the early morning or evening sun, and those rays are yellow, orange, and red.
Cirrus cloud
Cirrus clouds are atmospheric clouds generally characterized by thin, wispy strands, giving them their name from the Latin word cirrus meaning a ringlet or curling lock of hair...
s and cirrostratus cloud
Cirrostratus cloud
Cirrostratus clouds are thin, generally uniform clouds, composed of ice-crystals. They are difficult to detect and if capable of forming halos the cloud takes the form of thin cirrostratus nebulosus. The cloud has a fibrous texture with no haloes if it is thicker cirrostratus fibratus. On the...
s. They usually occur at an altitude of 5 kilometres (16,404.2 ft) to 12 kilometres (39,370.1 ft). Like other cumulus clouds, cirrocumulus clouds signify convection
Convection
Convection is the movement of molecules within fluids and rheids. It cannot take place in solids, since neither bulk current flows nor significant diffusion can take place in solids....
. Unlike other cirrus cloud
Cirrus cloud
Cirrus clouds are atmospheric clouds generally characterized by thin, wispy strands, giving them their name from the Latin word cirrus meaning a ringlet or curling lock of hair...
s, cirrocumulus include a small amount of liquid water droplets, although these are in a supercooled state. Ice crystals are the predominant component, and typically, the ice crystals cause the supercooled water drops in the cloud to rapidly freeze, transforming the cirrocumulus into cirrostratus. This process can also produce precipitation in the form of a virga
Virga
In meteorology, virga is an observable streak or shaft of precipitation that falls from a cloud but evaporates before reaching the ground. At high altitudes the precipitation falls mainly as ice crystals before melting and finally evaporating; this is usually due to compressional heating, because...
consisting of ice or snow. Thus cirrocumulus clouds are usually short-lived.
Properly, the term cirrocumulus refers to each cloud, but is typically also used to refer to an entire patch of cirrocumulus. When used in this way, each cirrocumulus element is referred to as a "cloudlet".
Appearance
A cirrocumulus is typically a large, white patch or tuft without a gray shadow. Each cloudlet appears no larger than a finger held at arms length. It occurs in patches or sheets along with other cirrocumulus. These often are organized in rows like other cumulus, but since they are so small, cirrocumulus patches take on a finer appearance, sometimes also referred to colloquially as "herringbone" or "mackerel".The cirrocumulus is distinguished from the not so similar altocumulus in several ways, although the two cloud types can occasionally occur together with no clear demarcation between them. Cirrocumulus generally occur at higher altitudes than altocumulus, and thus the "cloudlets" appear smaller as they are more distant from observation at ground level. They are also colder. Cirrocumulus clouds never cast self-shadows and are translucent to a certain degree. They are also typically found amongst other cirrus clouds in the sky, and are usually themselves seen to be transforming into these other types of cirrus.
Cirrocumulus clouds tend to reflect the red and yellow colors during a sunset and sunrise, and thus they have been referred to as "one of the most beautiful clouds". This occurs because they reflect the unscattered rays of light from the early morning or evening sun, and those rays are yellow, orange, and red.