Cirrus Clouds | Center for Science Education (2024)

FAQs

What is cirrus clouds in science? ›

Cirrus clouds are made of ice crystals and look like long, thin, wispy white streamers high in the sky. They are commonly known as "mare's tails" because they are shaped like the tail of a horse. Cirrus clouds are often seen during fair weather.

So, clouds tell us something about air temperature and water up in the sky, related to weather. They also affect the amount of sunlight reaching the ground and how much heat is escaping back to space, related to climate.

Cirrus clouds are high feathery clouds. They are up so high they are actually made of ice particles. They are indicators of fair weather when they are scattered in a clear blue sky.

Nephology is the study of clouds and a branch of meteorology. Nephrologists, those who study clouds, study the cloud types, formation, development, and effects. One of the first nephologists was Luke Howard (1772-1864).

Cirrus clouds are thin clouds made of ice crystals that form very high in the sky, above 18,000 feet. Cirrus clouds are the highest clouds, and the temperature at the height where they form is about 36 degrees Celsius below zero, which is why they are made of ice crystals.

Cirrus clouds are wispy, feathery, and composed entirely of ice crystals. They often are the first sign of an approaching warm front or upper-level jet streak. Unlike cirrus, cirrostratus clouds form more of a widespread, veil-like layer (similar to what stratus clouds do in low levels).

Clouds also are aqueous-phase chemical reactors, scavenging soluble gas-phase precursors and supporting oxidation reactions that contribute to increased aerosol mass when the cloud drops evaporate.

Clouds are given different names based on their shape and their height in the sky. Some clouds are puffy like cotton while others are grey and uniform. Some clouds are near the ground, while others are near the top of the troposphere.

Cirrus clouds have a wispy appearance. They can produce beautiful optical effects such as halos and sun dogs. They are made of ice crystals.

Cirrus clouds both alleviate and exacerbate the effects of climate change. While thick cirrus clouds packed with large ice crystals help regulate Earth's global temperature by reflecting incoming solar radiation back into space, those same thick clouds also absorb and trap lots of solar energy.

Why do scientists study clouds? ›

“Clouds cover about 70% of the earth's surface,” said Choi, a faculty member in the UH College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. “They are one of the most essential components of the global climate system because of their regulation of surface precipitation and the atmosphere's radiation balance.”

And yet, clouds have an enormous influence on Earth's energy balance, climate, and weather. Clouds are the key regulator of the planet's average tem- perature. Some clouds contribute to cooling because they reflect some of the Sun's energy—called solar energy or shortwave radiation—back to space.

A cloud is a mass of water drops or ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. Clouds form when water condenses in the sky. The condensation lets us see the water vapor. There are many different types of clouds. Clouds are an important part of Earth's weather and climate.

Typically found at heights greater than 20,000 feet (6,000 meters), cirrus clouds are composed of ice crystals that originate from the freezing of supercooled water droplets. Cirrus generally occur in fair weather and point in the direction of air movement at their elevation.

Cirrus clouds have five associated cloud species: castellanus, fibratus, floccus, spissatus, and uncinus. The species spissatus and uncinus are unique to cirrus clouds.

noun. , plural cir·rus cir·ri [sir, -ahy] Meteorology. a cloud of a class characterized by thin white filaments or narrow bands and a composition of ice crystals: of high altitude, about 20,000–40,000 feet (6000–12,000 meters).

Cirrus clouds - These are feathery clouds. They are associated with fair weather. Cirrus clouds often indicate that rain or snow will fall within several hours, but at the time they appear there will be clear, cool weather. Cumulonimbus clouds - These are thunderstorm clouds.