The big island of Hawaii is a prime location for different cloud types. The land mass of Hawaii is completely surrounded by water that can be converted into moisture droplets. In order to for a cloud to form all that is needed is cloud condensation nuclei, which are tiny particles of water, dirt, particles, or anything that water molecules can bind to (Groom, 2012). When they collide and come together they can become big enough to be raindrops that eventually fall from a cloud. A cloud's primary goal is to have some sort of precipitation, whether it be snow, rain, etc.. (Allen, 2012). Below are just a few types of clouds that can be seen over Hawaii.
http://travel-destination-hawaii.blogspot.com/2008/11/clouds-over-hawaii.html
The picture above shows beautiful cumulus clouds. The cumulus clouds are defined by their "lumpy or heaped" characteristics. They almost look like cotton balls in the sky. Cumulus clouds are considered to be low level to mid level clouds. This means that they form closer to the earths surface. In the picture it is clear that some clouds have a flat bottom. This indicates the dew point. The dew point is where precipitaion could start if the conditions are right.
http://www.digitalapoptosis.com/category/Hawaii/
The clouds in the picture above are classified as cirrus clouds. These are high level clouds that form high above the earths surface. They are distinguished by their wispy features that almost look hair-like. On the bottom right there also appears to be a cumulus cloud. It is important to remember that it is not unusual to see more than one cloud type in the sky at a time. This is actually very common.
http://scijinks.jpl.nasa.gov/clouds-gallery
The above picture shows the stratus clouds, or clouds that are defined by their layers and appear to be featureless. These are the clouds that look like a blanket over the sky and have no distinct features. Like cumulus clouds, these are low-level and form close to the ground compared to the cirrus.
The above pictures depict the very basic cloud types that are encountered in Hawaii. It is important to remember that clouds can change types quickly and it is not uncommon to see more than one cloud type in the sky. For more detailed information about types of clouds reference the picture below:
http://clasfaculty.ucdenver.edu/callen/1202/Climate/Moisture/cloudstypesdiagram.jpg
Using the chart above see if you can identify the clouds in the photos below...
I like how you gave the complicated explanation for the process of making clouds but then you made it easier to understand for people like me. I tend to just skip over the really complicated explanations to get to the easier ones that make more sense. The first picture really is a great visual for showing the dew point, in some of the pictures that I saw when looking for cumulus clouds in Italy did not really show where the dew point was. Your explanation really is great in correlation with the visual. I like that you described cirrus clouds as hair, it made me chuckle when I read it but they really do look like hair. I think you meant that there is a cumulus cloud in the bottom left of the picture not in the bottom right but I still could see what you meant. Great work!!!
ReplyDeleteI like how you meticulously describe the formation of clouds on your blog by the combination of air & water particles, and how the sum mass of the clouds can created raindrops of precipitation.
ReplyDeleteI also loved the illustrations you utilized to demonstrate the different formation of clouds in general and the ones that shown in Hawaii as well. I was also impressed of how you mention how with the right conditions of the nuclei of the cloud, precipitation can take place
I enjoyed your very descriptive definition of how clouds are made, as well as your definitions of the necessary requirements for certain cloud types to form. Your descriptions of "hair like" cirrus,"cotton ball" cumulus, and "blanket like" stratus clouds really help me distinguish between the three. Your diagram at the end really surprised me; I had no idea there were so many cloud kinds. I also enjoyed your little test at the end, nice job!
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