What causes clouds to form?
There are five factors which can lead to air rising and cooling and clouds forming.
1. Surface heating - This happens when the ground is heated by the sun which heats the air in contact with it causing it to rise. The rising columns are often called thermals. Surface heating tends to produce cumulus clouds.
2. Topography or orographic forcing - The topography - or shape and features of the area - can cause clouds to be formed. When air is forced to rise over a barrier of mountains or hills it cools as it rises. Layered clouds are often produced this way.
3. Frontal - Clouds are formed when a mass of warm air rises up over a mass of cold, dense air over large areas along fronts. A 'front' is the boundary between warm, moist air and cooler, drier air.
4. Convergence - Streams of air flowing from different directions are forced to rise where they flow together, or converge. This can cause cumulus cloud and showery conditions.
5. Turbulence - A sudden change in wind speed with height creating turbulent eddies in the air.
The range of ways in which clouds can be formed and the variable nature of the atmosphere results in an enormous variety of shapes, sizes and textures of clouds. To find out more about different types of clouds and how you can identify them, read our cloud spotting guide.
What causes clouds to form?There are five factors which can lead to air rising and cooling and clouds forming.1. Surface heating - This happens when the ground is heated by the sun which heats the air in contact with it causing it to rise. The rising columns are often called thermals. Surface heating tends to produce cumulus clouds.2. Topography or orographic forcing - The topography - or shape and features of the area - can cause clouds to be formed. When air is forced to rise over a barrier of mountains or hills it cools as it rises. Layered clouds are often produced this way.3. Frontal - Clouds are formed when a mass of warm air rises up over a mass of cold, dense air over large areas along fronts. A 'front' is the boundary between warm, moist air and cooler, drier air.4. Convergence - Streams of air flowing from different directions are forced to rise where they flow together, or converge. This can cause cumulus cloud and showery conditions.5. Turbulence - A sudden change in wind speed with height creating turbulent eddies in the air.The range of ways in which clouds can be formed and the variable nature of the atmosphere results in an enormous variety of shapes, sizes and textures of clouds. To find out more about different types of clouds and how you can identify them, read our cloud spotting guide.
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