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CLOUDS AND AIR MASSES
NOVEMBER 6, 2014
AGENDA: HW AND QUIZ TOMORROW!
WARM UP: ANSWER QUESTIONS IN WARM-UP SECTION
IN BINDER
1. How would you describe clouds?
2. What you notice about the types of
clouds that brings storms?
3. More water vapor in the air brings what
type of weather?
4. What is the function of the ozone layer?
5. Use the word altitude in a complete
sentence.
WHAT IS A CLOUD?
A cloud is a collection of millions of tiny water droplets or ice crystals
HOW DOES A CLOUD FORM?
1. Warm air rises
and cools
2. Water vapor is
added to the air
(evaporation)
3. Air eventually
becomes
saturated
5. Millions of
droplets of liquid
water collect to
form a cloud
4. Water vapor
condenses on
smoke, dust, salt
and other small
particles
suspended in the
air
RAIN VS. SNOW?
At temperatures above freezing, water condenses
and falls as rain
At temperatures below freezing, water vapor
changes directly to a solid, forming ice crystals
DIFFERENT TYPES OF CLOUDS
There are three
main categories
of clouds:
- Cumulus clouds
- Stratus clouds
- Cirrus clouds
CIRRUS CLOUDS
Thin, feathery, white clouds
found at high altitudes
Form when the wind is strong
Can indicate bad weather if
they thicken
CUMULUS CLOUDS
Puffy, white clouds with flat bottoms
Form when warm air rises
Generally mean fair weather
However, when cumulus clouds get bigger
they produce thunderstorms (cumulonimbus)
STRATUS CLOUDS
Form in layers
Cover large areas of the sky and can block out the sun
Caused by a gentle lifting of a large body of air
Nimbostratus clouds are dark and usually produce continuous rain
When stratus clouds form near the ground, it is called fog
BRAINPOP!
This video will help us tie together
everything we’ve learned about the water
cycle, weather, and clouds. Pay attention
for the quiz after!
http://www.brainpop.com/science/weather/weather/
AIR PRESSURE, CLOUDS, AND ALTITUDE
 As altitude goes up, air pressure
and density go down.
 It becomes harder to breathe.
 When the water vapor rises it
cools off and condenses to form
clouds.
EXIT TICKET
1. How does altitude affect cloud
formation?
2. What are the 3 clouds in the
order of low to high?