Page 66 - DK Children's Encyclopedia

Clouds SEE ALSO

▸ ▸ Gases p.117
▸ ▸ Water
Clouds are made of tiny droplets of water or ice. They pp.120–121
form when air that contains water rises and cools. As ▸ ▸ Storms p.246
well as making rain, snow, and hail, clouds help control ▸ ▸ Temperature

our planet’s temperature. p.252
▸ ▸ Water cycle p.270

▸ ▸ Weather p. 271
High-level clouds
Types of cloud
There are many different types
of cloud. Some float very
high up, while others hug
the ground. Clouds may Cirrus Cirrocumulus
Cirrostratus clouds
These wispy
look white and fluffy clouds form very sometimes break up to
or dark and stormy. high up in the air. form these little clouds.
Altostratus Medium-level clouds
These clouds form a thin
sheet across the sky.

Cirrostratus
These thin clouds
Altocumulus are made of tiny
These clouds are ice crystals.
broken into segments,
or “cloudlets.”
Stratocumulus
Stratus Low-level clouds These big clouds form a
These flat sheets lumpy layer in the sky.
of cloud can be
white or gray.

Nimbostratus
Cumulonimbus Tall and gray, these clouds
Towering and huge, bring hours of rain or snow.
cumulonimbus clouds Cumulus
are often seen during These fluffy heaps of
thunderstorms. cloud are often seen on
sunny, breezy days.

Temperature
control Clouds Cloud or UFO?
reflect
Clouds reflect the heat from Clouds that do not move
can form in the sheltered
sun’s heat, stopping the sun. air behind areas of high
the Earth from getting ground, such as mountains.
too hot. They also trap Clouds They are shaped like saucers
heat below them, so a trap heat or lenses and have been
mistaken for unidentified
reflected
cloudy night is warmer from the flying objects (UFOs)!
than a clear one. Earth.

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