Clouds & Particles

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1. What happens in clouds?

1. Number the occurrences

Uplift of warm air containing water vapor initiates a series of events. Number the following events successively:

• the droplets fall out of the cloud as rain
• the air gets saturated
• air is lifted up
• water droplets collide, join together and grow bigger 
• clouds appear
• the air gets colder
• water vapour condensates to water droplets
  

2. Cumulus clouds

In summertime near the coast, we can notice cumulus clouds building up over land during the day and the afternoon, while the sky above the sea remains cloud-free. How do these cumulus clouds form, and what is the name of the process?

3. Rainy parts of your country

Are there areas in your country that are particularly rainy? How do you explain that there is so much rain in those places?

 
4. Answer individually or in groups

The names of the cloud types are Latin, with the following meanings:

cirrus - curl of hair
stratus - layer
cumulus - heap
nimbus - rain

Look closely at the figure below and discuss how the various clouds in figure got their names.

Authors: Ellen K. Henriksen and Camilla Schreiner - University of Oslo - Norway. Scientific reviewer: Justine Gourdeau - LaMP Clermont ferrand - France - 2004-01-13. Last update: 2004-03-27.