As evidenced by cumulus and cirrus clouds. Cirrocumulus Clouds What Stratus Cumulus and Cirrus Clouds Look Like

Consisting of small waves, flakes or ripples.

Characteristic

They are located at an altitude above 6-7 km, have a layer thickness of about 200-400 meters, visibility inside the clouds is about 150-500 meters. There is no shading on them - even from the side that is turned away from the sun. They are formed during the occurrence of wave and ascending movements in the upper troposphere and consist of ice crystals. Cirrocumulus clouds may show haloes and rims around the sun and moon. Precipitation does not fall out of them.

Kinds

There are four types of cirrocumulus clouds. Layered ( stratiformis) are not just cloud patches, but vast layers of clouds. Lenticular ( lenticularis) - clouds in the form of one or more distinct almond-shaped or lenticular masses with a flat surface that are not connected to each other. Each element of the turret-shaped ( castellanus) clouds is a small vertical tower with a relatively clear base. Flaky ( floccus) clouds are similar to cumulus, with ragged blurry bases.

There are also two varieties of cirrocumulus. Wavy ( undulatus) are arranged in waves, like fish scales. Leaky ( lacunosus) are dotted with uniform holes, similar to a sieve or sieve.

Write a review on the article "Cirrocumulus clouds"

Literature

• Praetor-Pinney G. Entertaining cloud science. - M .: Gayatri, 2007. - 392 p. - ISBN 978-5-9689-0088-3.

Notes

Links

"Ground" lower tier middle tier Upper tier vertical development Other

An excerpt characterizing Cirrocumulus clouds

- She said ... yes, she said: "girl (a la femme de chambre), put on a livree [livery] and go with me, behind the carriage, faire des visites." [make visits.]
Here Prince Ippolit snorted and laughed much before his listeners, which made an unfavorable impression for the narrator. However, many, including the elderly lady and Anna Pavlovna, smiled.
- She went. Suddenly there was a strong wind. The girl lost her hat, and her long hair was combed ...
Here he could no longer hold on and began to laugh abruptly, and through this laughter he said:
And the whole world knows...
That's where the joke ends. Although it was not clear why he was telling it and why it had to be told without fail in Russian, Anna Pavlovna and others appreciated the secular courtesy of Prince Hippolyte, who so pleasantly ended Monsieur Pierre's unpleasant and ungracious trick. The conversation after the anecdote crumbled into small, insignificant talk about the future and the past ball, the performance, about when and where someone will see each other.

Thanking Anna Pavlovna for her charmante soiree, [a charming evening] the guests began to disperse.
Pierre was clumsy. Fat, taller than usual, broad, with huge red hands, he, as they say, did not know how to enter the salon and even less how to get out of it, that is, before leaving, to say something especially pleasant. Besides, he was scattered. Rising, instead of his hat, he grabbed a triangular hat with a general's plume and held it, pulling the sultan, until the general asked to return it. But all his absent-mindedness and inability to enter the salon and speak in it were redeemed by an expression of good nature, simplicity and modesty. Anna Pavlovna turned to him and, with Christian meekness expressing forgiveness for his outburst, nodded to him and said:
“I hope to see you again, but I also hope that you will change your mind, my dear Monsieur Pierre,” she said.

Many people like to admire the sky. Thanks to the clouds, it is very diverse. In summer you can see how fluffy white "horses" swim overhead. With the onset of autumn, the sky is often covered with "lead" low-hanging clouds. And sometimes, even in clear weather, white, barely noticeable "feathers" can be observed high up. Each type of these clouds has its corresponding name. So we know from school that there are stratified, cumulus and Spindrift clouds. All of them, in turn, are divided into mixed subspecies.

How they are formed

Although all clouds differ in appearance, nature and altitude, they form for one reason. The air that heats up near the surface of the earth rises to the sky and gradually cools. Having reached a certain height, it begins to thicken into water droplets. This happens because the cooled air cannot remain in a vapor state and forms into droplets. But for condensation to occur, solid particles, such as dust or minute salts, must rise with the steam. It is to them that water molecules stick. All the clouds we see are collections of droplets and/or ice crystals.

Where is someone located

As you know, there are no identical clouds, because they always change their shape. It depends on what winds they are exposed to, at what height and at what temperature these “white-maned horses” form. Many of them are formed in the troposphere (there are some species that are much higher) and are divided into tiers, of which there are three. The upper one is considered from a height of 8-18 km. Here cirrus clouds, cirrocumulus, cirrostratus are formed.

In the middle layer, which starts from 2 km and ends at 8 km, Altocumulus and Altostratus species are formed. Cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds also form here, they have a vertical shape. But their amazing feature is that they can form in the lower tier and line up up to upper tier.

We also know stratus clouds, stratocumulus and stratocumulus. These types of formations are usually located on the lower tier up to 2 km. Such clouds usually do not let through Sun rays, and from them there are long-term precipitation.

What do cirrus clouds say

This type is often not perceived as true clouds, as they do not carry obvious precipitation. They are scattered across the sky in a row in the form of white shreds or threads. The height of cirrus clouds depends on the latitude in which they formed, but in any part they occupy the upper tier of the troposphere. So, in tropical latitudes, their bases can form at 6-18 km from the earth, in middle latitudes from about 6 to 8 km, and in the polar part from 3 to 8. They consist of large ice crystals, so the speed of their fall is almost imperceptible. At the same time, cirrus clouds are elongated vertically for hundreds of meters.

Their formation occurs at the moment when in the upper tier air masses practically immobile. But if the wind starts to get stronger, it pulls these clouds up and they look like hooks pulled up. This form is exact sign that high in the sky a strong wind is raging. For a person, they are a signal that in a day or two come warm front.

But sometimes in the night sky it becomes noticeable how a halo (luminous edging) of thin cirrus clouds has formed around the Moon. Such a phenomenon has always been considered a sign that worsening weather is imminent.

Sometimes the sky is covered with cirrostratus clouds, which resemble a translucent veil. They can be blurry, and are fibrous. The thickness of the cloud layer can exceed several kilometers. They are also formed from ice crystals, which are combined into columns. These clouds usually belong to warm fronts.

Harbingers of good or bad weather

Often we have to observe how the sky is decorated with white cumulus clouds that develop upward and resemble hills or pieces of cotton wool. They are formed only from watery drops, but at the same time there are no downpours, only some of them can be poured with a light rain. Experienced observers know that such clouds indicate good weather for the day, and the higher they float in the sky, the warmer the air. Although under certain conditions, cumulus clouds can outgrow and become thunderstorms.

This article lists and describes all types of clouds.

Cloud types

Upper clouds formed in temperate latitudes above 5 km, in polar regions - above 3 km, in tropical regions - above 6 km. The temperature at this altitude is quite low, so they consist mainly of ice crystals. Upper clouds are usually thin and white. The most common form of upper clouds are cirrus (cirrus) and cirrostratus (cirrostratus), which can usually be observed in good weather.

Middle clouds usually located at an altitude of 2-7 km in temperate latitudes, 2-4 km in polar and 2-8 km in tropical latitudes. They consist mainly of small particles of water, but at low temperatures they can also contain ice crystals. The most common types of mid-tier clouds are altocumulus (altocumulus), altostratus (altostratus). They may have shaded portions, which distinguishes them from cirrocumulus clouds. This type of cloud usually results from air convection and also from the gradual rise of air ahead of a cold front.

Lower clouds located at altitudes below 2 km, where the temperature is quite high, so they consist mainly of water droplets. Only in the cold season. When the surface temperature is low, they contain particles of ice (hail) or snow. The most common types of low clouds are nimbostratus (nimbostratus) and stratocumulus (stratocumulus), dark low clouds accompanied by moderate precipitation.

Fig1. The main types of clouds: Cirrus, Ci), Cirrocumulus (Cirrocumulus, Cc), Cirrostratus, Cs, Altocumulus (Altocumulus, Ac), Altostratus, As, Altostratus translucidus , As trans) , Strato-nimbus (Nimbostratus, Ns), Stratus (Stratus, St) , Stratocumulus (Stratocumulus, Sc), Cumulus (Cumulus, Cu), Cumulonimbus (Cumulonimbus, Cb)

Pinnate (Cirrus, Ci)

They consist of separate pinnate elements in the form of thin white threads or white (or mostly white) tufts and elongated ridges. They have a fibrous structure and / or a silky sheen. They are observed in the upper troposphere, in the middle latitudes their bases most often lie at altitudes of 6-8 km, in the tropical from 6 to 18 km, in the polar from 3 to 8 km). Visibility within the cloud is 150-500 m. They are built from ice crystals large enough to have an appreciable falling speed; therefore, they have a significant vertical extent (from hundreds of meters to several kilometers). However, wind shear and differences in crystal size cause the filaments of cirrus clouds to be slanted and warped. These clouds are characteristic of the leading edge of a cloud system of a warm front or an occlusion front associated with an upward slip. They often also develop in anticyclonic conditions, sometimes they are parts or remnants of ice tops (anvils) of cumulonimbus clouds.

There are different types: filiform(Cirrus fibratus, Ci fibr.), claw-like(Cirrus uncinus, Ci unc.), turret-shaped(Cirrus castellanus, Ci cast.), dense(Cirrus spissatus, Ci spiss.), flaky(Cirrus floccus, Ci fl.) and varieties: mixed up(Cirrus intortus, Ci int.), radial(Cirrus radiatus, Cirad.), spinal(Cirrus vertebratus, Ci vert.), double(Cirrus duplicatus, Ci dupl.).

Sometimes this genus of clouds, along with the described clouds, also includes cirrostratus and cirrocumulus clouds.

Cirrocumulus (Cirrocumulus, Cc)

They are often referred to as "lambs". Very high small globular clouds, elongated in a line. Look like the backs of mackerels or ripples on the coastal sand. The height of the lower border is 6-8 km, the vertical length is up to 1 km, the visibility inside is 5509-10000 m. They are a sign of an increase in temperature. Often observed together with cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. They are often the forerunners of storms. With these clouds, the so-called. "iridization" - iridescent coloring of the edge of the clouds.

Cirrostratus, Cs

Halo formed on cirrus clouds

Sail-like clouds of the upper tier, consisting of ice crystals. They have the appearance of a homogeneous, whitish veil. The height of the lower edge is 6-8 km, the vertical extent varies from several hundred meters to several kilometers (2-6 or more), visibility inside the cloud is 50-200 m. Cirrostratus clouds are relatively transparent, so the sun or moon can be clearly visible through them. These upper tier clouds usually form when large layers of air rise up through multilevel convergence.

Cirrostratus clouds are characterized by the fact that they often give the phenomena of a halo around the sun or moon. Halos are the result of the refraction of light by the ice crystals that make up the cloud. Cirrostratus clouds, however, tend to thicken as a warm front approaches, which means more ice crystal formation. As a result, the halo gradually disappears, and the sun (or moon) becomes less visible.

Altocumulus (Altocumulus, Ac)

Formation of altocumulus clouds.

Altocumulus (Altocumulus, Ac) - typical warm season cloud cover. Gray, white, or bluish clouds in the form of waves and ridges, consisting of flakes and plates separated by gaps. The height of the lower boundary is 2-6 km, the vertical length is up to several hundred meters, the visibility inside the cloud is 50-80 m. They are usually located above the places facing the sun. Sometimes they reach the stage of powerful cumulus clouds. Altocumulus clouds usually form when warm air masses rise, as well as when a cold front advances, which pushes warm air upwards. Therefore, the presence of altocumulus clouds on a warm and humid summer morning portends the imminent appearance of storm clouds or a change in the weather.

High-stratified (Altostratus, As)

Altostratus clouds

They look like a uniform or weakly expressed wavy veil of gray or bluish color, the sun and moon usually shine through, but weakly. The height of the lower boundary is 3-5 km, the vertical extent is 1-4 km, the visibility in the clouds is 25-40 m. These clouds consist of ice crystals, supercooled water drops and snowflakes. Altostratus clouds can bring heavy rain or snow.

High-layered translucent (Altostratus translucidus, As trans)

Altostratus clouds at sunset

Altostratus translucent clouds. The wavy structure of the cloud is noticeable, the solar circle of the sun is quite distinguishable. Quite distinguishable shadows can sometimes appear on the ground. Stripes are clearly visible. A veil of clouds, as a rule, gradually covers the entire sky. The height of the base is within 3-5 km, the thickness of the As trans cloud layer is on average about 1 km, occasionally up to 2 km. Precipitation falls, but in low and middle latitudes it rarely reaches the ground in summer.

Nimbostratus (Nimbostratus, Ns)

Nimbostratus clouds and strong air currents.

Nimbostratus clouds are dark gray, in the form of a continuous layer. During precipitation, it seems to be homogeneous; in the intervals between precipitation, some heterogeneity and even some undulation of the layer are noticeable. They differ from stratus clouds in their darker and bluish color, inhomogeneity of the structure and the presence of extensive precipitation. The height of the lower boundary is 0.1-1 km, the thickness is up to several kilometers.

Layered (Stratus, St)

Layered clouds.

Layered clouds form a homogeneous layer, similar to fog, but located at a height of hundreds or even tens of meters. Usually they cover the entire sky, but sometimes they can be observed in the form of broken cloud masses. The lower edge of these clouds can drop very low; sometimes they merge with ground fog. Their thickness is small - tens and hundreds of meters.

Stratocumulus (Stratocumulus, Sc)

Gray clouds, consisting of large ridges, waves, plates, separated by gaps or merging into a continuous gray wavy cover. Composed primarily of water droplets. The thickness of the layer is from 200 to 800 m. The sun and moon can only shine through the thin edges of the clouds. Precipitation usually does not fall. From stratocumulus clouds that are not translucent, weak, short-term precipitation may fall.

Cumulus clouds (Cumulus, Cu)

Cumulus clouds. View from above.

Cumulus clouds are dense, bright white clouds during the day with significant vertical development (up to 5 km or more). The upper parts of cumulus clouds look like domes or towers with rounded outlines. Cumulus clouds usually form as convection clouds in cold air masses.

Cumulonimbus (Cumulonimbus, Cb)

Cumulonimbus (Cumulonimbus capillatus incus)

Cumulonimbus - powerful and dense clouds with a strong vertical development (up to a height of 14 km), giving heavy rainfall with powerful hail and thunderstorms. Cumulonimbus clouds/clouds develop from powerful cumulus clouds. They can form a line called a squall line. The lower levels of cumulonimbus clouds are mostly water droplets, while the higher levels, where temperatures are well below 0°C, are dominated by ice crystals.

To an observer from the ground, it seems that the clouds are approximately at the same level, but in reality there are several types of clouds, based on their height above the surface of the planet.

Clouds are atmospheric formations consisting of droplets or ice crystals that form during the condensation of steam. Vertical distance between formations different types may be several kilometers.

Morphological classification of clouds

By modern classification 10 main cloud forms are distinguished, divided into many types and varieties. There are more than 90 varieties, many are not introduced even to students in meteorological practice. The types of clouds are studied by schoolchildren in the 6th grade, a simplified classification is given in geography textbooks for children.

By appearance distinguish forms:

• cumulus - cumulus;
• stratus - layered;
• cirrus - pinnate;
• nimbus - rain.

According to the distance from the earth's surface, clouds are:

• cir - high;
• alto - medium;
• low.

Below is a description with a photo of the types of clouds. A comparison is made of atmospheric formations located at different levels from the surface of the planet.

Upper clouds

Located above 6 km from the ground:

Middle clouds

Formed at a distance of 2 to 6 km from the ground:

Lower clouds

Located below 2 km from the ground:

Clouds of vertical development

Extend upwards for many kilometers:

Other types of clouds

Under certain conditions that form on the ground, rare types of clouds are observed:

1. Silvery(mesospheric). Appear at a distance of about 80 km from the planet. They are a thin translucent layer that shines against the night sky after sunset or before dawn.
   The source of light is the rays of the sun behind the horizon, invisible from the ground.
2. Polar(pearl). Formed above 30 km above the planet. They have an iridescent iridescent color.
   Observed after sunset north of the Arctic Circle.
3. vymeiformes(Stratocumulus mammatus). A rare form observed in the tropical zone. From the lower surface, processes hang down, as if from the udder of the nipple.
   Such formations signal the approach of a thunderstorm. At sunset they turn golden red.
4. Lenticular(lenticular). They appear behind mountain peaks at a distance of up to 15 km from the surface of the planet. Stable even in strong winds.
   The air flows around the mountains in waves, on the tops of the waves and these formations are observed.
5. Pyrocumulative(fiery). Formed during a volcanic eruption or a strong fire. The heated air rises and condenses, resulting in cumulonimbus clouds.
   If a thunderstorm begins, then lightning appears more often than from an ordinary thundercloud.
6. Pinnate curls of Kelvin-Helmholtz. They have a tubular shape, located low above the earth's surface. Formed ahead of a cold front high pressure air and high relative humidity.
   When the cloud with its heated front part rushes up, it begins to twist. This type is called a "thunder collar". It exists separately from the main cloud, does not change shape when moving.
7. cloud hat(pyleolus). Small, horizontal formations resembling a cap of a Catholic priest.
   They form above cumulus clouds when powerful rising air masses affect moist air at low altitude, causing the air to assume dew point temperature.
8. Offshore(speakers). They look like a horizontally set arch, they precede a thunderstorm front. Also called "squall collars", they look intimidating, they warn of a thunderstorm.
   Combined with the main cloud, which is how they differ from cirrus curls.
9. Wavy-hilly(undulatus asperatus). Unusual formations that have appeared recently, unexplored. Foretellers associate their origin with the approach of the "end of the world."
   These powerful, massive, horned or patchy clouds, reminiscent of a frozen raging sea, do not portend storms.
10. Wavy(undulatus). Beautiful view, formed during the instability of cirrus curls, when the air layers, in contact, move at different speeds. The colder layer swims faster. The warm layer rises, cools, condenses.
    The cold layer blows off the condensate, resulting in the formation of a cloud ridge. As it sinks, the condensate heats up and evaporates. The process is repeated many times. The result is a wave cloud different shapes.

Clouds can completely or partially cover the sky. The degree of sky coverage is determined on a 10-point scale.

Cloudless sky - 0 points. A third of the sky is closed - 3 points. The sky is half-covered - 5 points. Cloudy sky - 10 points.

Layers of fragile clouds resembling fish scales, or mackerel sky

At first, it may seem implausible that cirrocumulus clouds, as well as their lower-level relatives, stratocumulus and altocumulus clouds, are composed of individual clouds. At this altitude (at mid-latitudes, typically 16,500 to 45,000 feet), the constituent parts of a cirrocumulus cloud may appear as tiny grains of salt. However, if you look closely, you can see that these grains are not related to each other in any way. A patch of cirrocumulus cloud (usually they do not cover the whole sky, but appear in separate patches) often gives the impression of just ripples on a high and calm cloud layer.

However, is a true cloud lover satisfied with just the first impression? Looking more closely, he will find that these ripples are formed by individual tiny clouds. In appearance, they seem smaller than the ball of a finger at arm's length at a height of 30 ° above the horizon: let each cloud be actually the size of a flat cumulus(Cumulus humilis), but they are located incomparably higher.

Apparent Size Establishment constituent parts- one of the ways to distinguish a cirrocumulus cloud from a lower-tier altocumulus cloud (the clouds that make up it can be up to three fingers wide). You can also pay attention to shading - or rather, its absence: upper-tier cirrocumulus clouds appear whiter than mid-tier altocumulus, and the individual clouds that make up the cirrocumulus cloud are even brighter, while the shadow side of individual clouds is more a low altocumulus cloud looks darker.

Cirrocumulus is the most elusive of the ten cloud genera. Indeed, as soon as it appears, its constituent grains soon dissolve, being a transitional phase between the thin fibers of a cirrus cloud and an even whitish layer of clouds, called cirrostratus. One way meteorologists use to distinguish between clouds is to record accompanying clouds. So, the presence of easily recognizable stripes of a cirrus cloud makes it possible to recognize a wonderful cloud in apples - cirrocumulus.

From the fact that the cloud consists of separate small clouds, it can be concluded that the air at the level of the cloud is restless and unstable. If only one or two patches of cirrostratus clouds are visible in the sky, they cannot significantly affect the coming weather. However, sometimes their scales cover a fair part of the sky - such clouds are classified as stratiformis, a variety of wavy (undulatus). However, try to remember this clumsy Cirrocumulus stratiformis undulatus! Much simpler is another name for these clouds - "mackerel sky". Most likely, sailors came up with this name, because they considered such clouds a warning of an impending storm. A storm is most likely if they are layered wavy adjacent to a hooked claw-shaped cirrus cloud (Cirrus uncinus), also referred to as "mare's tail".

Altocumulus clouds are sometimes referred to as mackerel skies. However, they are not as similar to mackerel as cirrocumulus. It is the grooves of cirrocumulus clouds that most of all resemble the stripes that distinguish this fish, with individual clouds acting as scales.

But if vast areas of the sky are covered with cirrocumulus clouds, why does this indicate worsening weather? First, the more upper clouds in the sky, the more moisture in the upper troposphere. AT temperate zones this indicates an imminent decline atmospheric pressure bringing rain. Secondly, the unstable undulating nature of the clouds indicates that at the level where they are located, they blow strong winds which means the weather will change dramatically.

The waves of the mackerel sky are akin to waves on the surface of the sea. Ocean waves are formed as a result of the fact that the wind blows over the surface of the water, picking up and amplifying any unevenness on this surface. The wind pushes the oscillating water up, the force of gravity causes it to fall back down, and as a result of the collision of these forces, waves are obtained.

Of course, in those altitudes where cirrocumulus clouds form, the masses of liquid and air are not so clearly separated from each other. However, if clouds form in a "wind shear" region, the mechanism for their formation is much the same. Wind shear is said to be when the air above the cloud layer moves in a different direction and/or at a different speed than the air below it. The part of the cloud that falls into the "scissors" between the two air currents begins to oscillate and - just like on the surface of the sea - the higher the wind, the more unstable the waves.

The atmosphere is like an ocean, only not water, but air. This air ocean is closely connected with the present, and the connection between them is extremely important in terms of cloud formation.

I wonder if the reader thought that the atmosphere begins right at our feet? It turns out that we are like crustaceans swarming at the bottom of this airy sea. When we raise our eyes to the clouds, we see birds gliding in the air currents and other crustaceans moving in submarines, which we call aircraft. As for the clouds with their evaporating tentacles of precipitation, which are called "fall bands" (virga) and hang down like tendrils, these are, without any doubt, jellyfish.

Scales of cirrocumulus stratus wavy cloud, or "mackerel sky".

In case you don't already know it, 90% of the moisture in the atmosphere is ocean evaporation. The remaining 10% is taken from rivers, lakes and other bodies of water, as well as from the leaves of plants, which are cooled by the so-called "evapotranspiration" - the botanical analogue of sweating. Of course, there is no human being either: people sweat and sneeze, dry washed clothes, drink gin and tonic after a game of croquet, and their beloved dogs run around with their tongues hanging out.

But it's not just that the ocean covers a fair amount of the planet's surface. Water is extremely efficient in retaining heat and transporting it over long distances around the world in accordance with the general pattern of ocean currents. Therefore, the ocean not only feeds the atmosphere with moisture, but also heats or cools the air above the currents: both of these factors play an important role in cloud formation.

When atmospheric disturbances move over the sea, picking up the heat and moisture of hot ocean currents, tropical cyclones and hurricanes are formed. For them to arise, special atmospheric conditions must be observed, but as soon as these conditions are present, the supply of heat and moisture provided by the sea gives the hurricane extraordinary power.

Twisted into a huge rotating system, it becomes an irresistible force. As soon as it passes over the earth - for example, over the houses of the unfortunate inhabitants of Louisiana, the Caribbean or India that come across on its way - and causing all sorts of destruction, it gradually begins to dissipate, and the supply of energy drawn from the warm surface of the sea is depleted.

Less restless clouds are associated with cold ocean currents. streaming from the continental coastline, these currents give rise to low stratus clouds and fog spreading over large areas. A striking example is the famous summer fogs of San Francisco.

This cirrocumulus cloud belongs to the flaky (floccus) species, and in some places it is possible to distinguish shafts characteristic of the undulatus variety.

Air currents blowing in the direction of the earth are heated and saturated with water vapor above the warm ocean currents in the Pacific Ocean. Passing over the cold waters near the shore, they cool, and part of the water vapor is converted into drops. Since these droplets do not need to rise up to cool, they form what is known as advective fog just above the ground. As a result, San Francisco is one of the foggiest cities in the world, although fog does not usually extend beyond the city's waterfront.

However, some areas of the northeastern coast of Japan are also ready to compete for this title. They are also characterized by a similar temperature contrast on the sea surface. streams of warm humid air heated over the warm Kuroshio current from Pacific Ocean, rush inland, but immediately cool down, reaching the cold Kuril current near the coast. A sharp drop in temperature again leads to the fact that over large areas of the surface fog or haze is formed, which is drawn inland.

These mists formed the basis of some styles of traditional Japanese painting. To give landscapes depth and perspective, the artistic technique of kasumi, which in Japanese means "haze", was traditionally used. Usually this haze was depicted in the form of horizontal stripes, in early painting of the Heian period (about 1000s AD) - soft and transparent, with a bluish tint. By the 13th century, the fog streaks became more "material" (in particular, their outline was drawn in ink), and they began to be called suyarigasumi.

The beautiful kasumi mists not only gave the landscapes an impression of depth, but also interspersed the narrative contained in the paintings. They meant that some time passed between the individual episodes of the image. Never before has the "fog of time" found a more literal embodiment in painting.

Stratus wavy clouds (Stratioformis undulatus), better known as "mackerel sky", are by no means the only ones among cirrocumulus clouds. In addition to this type of clouds, covering large areas of the sky, there are three more types with their own external features.

If the constituent elements of a cirrocumulus cloud have a flat base and a jagged top, this is a type of turret (castellanus). However, the individual clouds are too high, and the denticles are more difficult to see than when observing towering clouds belonging to lower levels, such as altocumulus and stratocumulus. The same applies to flaky clouds (floccus), individual clouds in the composition of which are distinguished by an uneven base and an uneven top. These are symptoms of the rapid growth of clouds, which is observed when the air at their height is "unstable" in nature.

Fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen "The Princess and the Pea" explains why a "stable atmosphere" favors the formation of lenticular clouds.

Lenticular clouds (lenticularis), which are brightly different from the rest in appearance, form, on the contrary, when the air is "stable". In this case, quite large parts of the cloud take on a lenticular shape. This is an upper tier variant of the UFO-like lenticular clouds that form in the lower tiers. Here the rule that individual cirrocumulus clouds should appear no more than a finger wide is violated: the constituent elements of a lenticular cloud look much larger. Let us dwell on this kind of clouds for a while longer: they will help us to introduce the important concept of "atmospheric stability".

The lenticular cloud, like lower-level cloud types similar to it, forms when air moves over mountain ranges and undulates from the leeward side of peaks. Lenticular or almond-shaped clouds form on the crests of air waves. It may seem strange that the flow of air currents over ground obstacles (even if they are such high obstacles as mountains) leads to the formation of waves, which, in turn, lead to the fact that at an altitude of 26,000 feet (i.e. 5 miles ) and more clouds form. In fact, this is not that often the case, and it all depends on how stable the air is between the surface of the earth and the cloud.

The "stability" or "instability" of air is determined by how its temperature changes with altitude. The distinction between "stable" and "unstable" air is a very confusing matter (part of the atmosphere is considered stable or unstable relative to an air "bubble" at a certain temperature and humidity). If we simplify the problem to the limit, the air is more likely to be considered unstable if it becomes colder with increasing altitude, and stable if the cooling is gradual.

This temperature profile plays an important role in cloud formation. For example, in the case of a lenticular cirrocumulus cloud (Cirrocumulus lenticularis), the stability of the air over a mountain range determines how "bouncy" the air will be, which in turn is critical in terms of whether air waves originating downwind of the ridge reach large heights.

A stream of air forced to rise up to cross a mountain expands and cools - this is what always happens with rising air. But if the atmosphere directly above the air stream is noticeably colder, the rising air, despite cooling, continues to be warmer than the atmosphere. Therefore, it will float up like a float, while the surrounding air will sink down. The atmosphere above is unstable relative to the air flow, so it will take the crest of the wave without the wave pushing the air above it up.

If, on the contrary, the temperature of the atmosphere above the air stream gradually decreases with increasing altitude, the stream itself, rising up and cooling as it flows over the mountain range, may eventually reach the same temperature as the atmosphere. The atmosphere at the top is stable with respect to the airflow, and so it does not rise through it, but pushes the air up.

All this reminds me of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea". It tells about how, during a terrible thunderstorm, a princess, soaked through and through, appeared at the gates of the castle. The old king and queen living in the castle dreamed of marrying their son. The guest seemed to them a suitable daughter-in-law, but they wanted to make sure that this was a real princess. They offered her an overnight stay, and the old queen, obeying the logic inherent only in future mothers-in-law, decided to secretly put the princess to the test: preparing a bed for her, she hid a pea under twenty mattresses and twenty duvet beds. The princess slept terribly, and the king and queen were convinced that she was indeed of noble birth. The prince soon married her, they lived happily ever after ... well, and so on.

The unstable layers of the atmosphere above the air stream, like very soft mattresses, absorb the rising ridges of air flowing over the mountain. No matter how powerful these waves are: atmospheric air won't rise too much. If the atmospheric layers are stable, a wave of rising air will push them up, and the atmosphere many miles above will "feel" the crest of the wave, like a fabulous pea, and rise slightly with it. If the air throughout the atmosphere above the ridge is sufficiently moist, the result can be a lenticular cirrocumulus cloud.

This origin clearly proves that the lentil cloud is a real princess among the clouds. And this means that the King of the clouds, the cumulonimbus cloud, will agree to her marriage with his son, the cumulus cloud. I don't know what type of clouds the old queen belongs to, but I have no doubt that all of them, no matter what, will live happily ever after.

Different types of cirrocumulus clouds can, although not necessarily, belong to one of two varieties: holey (lacunosus) or wavy (undulatus). Them external signs are similar to the features of lower-tier clouds belonging to these varieties.

Clouds resembling a lattice around clearly perceived holes are of the holey type. Because they are at high altitude, these "honeycombs" hanging in the sky are smaller than Altocumulus and Stratocumulus clouds of the same variety.

If individual clouds gather into waves, similar in appearance to ribbons, then the cloud belongs to a variety of wavy ones. Sometimes two waves of different shapes are superimposed on each other, and the clouds appear to be wide waves and small ripples. simultaneously. Similarly, smaller ones can be seen on the surface of huge ocean waves. In both cases, the waves can move in different directions.

More often, however, wavy clouds are waves of one form: this is exactly the case with mackerel skies - stratified wavy cirrocumulus clouds.

The holey cirrocumulus cloud (Cirroculumus lacunosus) looks like a frequent honeycomb.

In this conversation about the types and varieties of cirrocumulus clouds, we touched on many topics that cannot but interest a true cloud lover. Surely you are already tormented by the following question: what kind of mackerel is this, which mackerel sky looks like? Could it be king mackerel? Or Spanish mackerel? Or just plain common mackerel? I decided that I shouldn't leave it like this. important question without an answer, and went in search.

Rising at five o'clock on a clear August morning, I caught the first train on the Tube and made my way across town to the Billingsgate Fish Market on the Isle of Dogs in the East End. This market offers the richest selection of fish in all of the UK and I thought I could hardly find the best place in order to compare the coloration of different types of mackerel with cirrocumulus clouds. Of course, I did not at all imagine that the clouds I needed would appear in the sky this morning. Even less did I hope that some merchant would lend me a fish so that I could lift it up to the sky and make a comparative analysis.

Leaving the metro and finding myself among the administrative skyscrapers of Canary Wharf, I was pleased to note that in the sky, among the bright stripes of cirrus clouds, patches of cirrocumulus were visible in some places. However, Billingsgate is an indoor market, so even if these clouds were to turn into stratified wavy soon, I would still have to rely only on my memory. Imagining a cloud, I dived through the doors of the market and began to make my way through the hustle and bustle of merchants, porters and restaurant owners. I had a special task: to find mackerel.

The easiest way was to find an ordinary mackerel. Among mackerels, this fish most often appears on the shores of Britain. I crept closer to a bunch of fish resting on ice in a polystyrene crate and stared at the iridescent silver and dark gray stripes that ran across the back of the fish.

Can you help, buddy? - Asked me a salesman in a white overalls stained with fish entrails.

Thanks, I'll just take a look for now, I replied, barely resisting the temptation to add: "However, I'm disappointed, because your mackerel does not look like a stratified undulating cirrocumulus cloud at all."

The fact is that the stripes of mackerel were drawn too brightly. In cirrocumulus clouds, as well as in any other clouds of the upper tier, consisting (if not completely, then at least partially) of ice crystals, much less clear contours than lower clouds. In the same mackerel fish, the light and dark stripes differed too sharply from each other.

But the problems with mackerel did not end there. Although the silver scales on the light stripes of the fish could be mistaken for clouds, the stripes interspersing them were too dark and did not at all resemble the sky. They looked almost black.

I tried to imagine a stratus undulating cirrocumulus cloud illuminated by moonlight - bright streaks of clouds against a black night sky - but I couldn't. Waves of cirrocumulus clouds in the background blue sky look much more pale and not so contrasting. It became clear that my search for mackerel alone would not be exhausted.

What is a Spanish mackerel, mate? the hawker replied when I asked him about the next candidate on my list of mackerel suspects. "They don't bring her in here anymore," he added regretfully. - Haven't seen it in years.

Here are those on. And they also say that this market has the richest selection of fish in the UK! And they don't have Spanish mackerel. I thought for a moment that I had gone here at dawn or early morning in vain. However, the seller immediately gave me useful advice: if I find someone who sells young king mackerel, my problem will be solved. “In his youth,” he whispered furtively to me, glancing around, “the royal looks little different from the adult Spanish.”

Coloring of common mackerel. Alas, this fish has too clear stripes, which means that the “mackerel sky” was not named after it.

No, of course, he didn’t whisper this to me furtively, but simply said ...

As for king mackerel, I had to find it anyway. Well, it is now worth finding a young king mackerel along with an adult - and she will be able to act in the identification procedure as a stand-in for the missing Spanish mackerel.

And I went on, passing hakes, perches, breams and halibuts. Walked past sea dogs, sea angels, eels and lobsters. The inhabitants of the depths literally riveted my gaze. Red reef perch, mullet, whiting... and finally, on the counter near the wall, next to the crab sticks, I found what I was looking for - a young king mackerel.

The young king mackerel was twice the size of an adult mackerel and was very different in color from it. Her belly was an even silver color, fading to pale blue on the sides. And against this blue background, rows of round yellow spots were visible.

Wait a minute, but this is even less like clouds! The coloration of this fish had nothing to do with the "mackerel sky": the spots were too far apart to look like a cirrocumulus cloud, and there were no wavy stripes of paramount importance at all. If this coloration is characteristic of the Spanish mackerel, then this mackerel escaped participation in the identification procedure without even standing in a row with the others.

And finally, on one of the neighboring stalls, I saw some impressive specimens of adult king mackerel - and realized that I was not far from the truth. This fish was much larger, about three feet long, and no yellow spots for you. Her iridescent silvery blue sides were adorned with pale white and silver wavy stripes. Eureka!

On the back of each fish from this impressive haul was the wavy pattern characteristic of mackerel skies, beautiful curved rows of silver scales interspersed with the pale blue of the sky. Eight pounds per kilogram - and here it is, the very fish, after which the mackerel sky is named.

What a joy it is to finally get rid of this worries! I walked out of the market feeling like a world-class expert at comparing fish and clouds. Of course, I thought, the Spanish mackerel does not look like a real mackerel sky, but its yellow spots very much resemble a rarefied altocumulus cloud in the amber rays of the rising sun ...

But then the string of my thoughts was interrupted, and my eyes settled on a large fat carp lying on the counter next to smoked salmon from Alaska. He, too, stared at me with his unblinking eyes of a dormant fish.

Can't be! There was something very cloudy about its scales, too wide for a fish of its size, and varying in color from dirty yellow on its belly to rich bronze on its back. In the center, each scale was amber, and towards the edges it darkened and became more brown. I thought that I had seen such a sky somewhere… Come on, come on… listen, you are a world-class expert… what kind of sky is on this carp?

Yes, of course! Altocumulus stratus cloud with gaps! How could I forget? This cloud and I are old friends, I just didn’t recognize him in the new environment.

ABOVE: King mackerel.

RIGHT: Strata-shaped wavy cirrocumulus cloud (Cirrocumulus stratiformis undularis), or "mackerel sky".

ABOVE: Common carp.

RIGHT: Altocumulus stratiformis perlucidus, soon to be referred to as "carp skies".

The clouds that make up the altocumulus - lower layered than cirrocumulus - appear larger, consistent with the larger carp scales. Moreover, at low sunlight they are darker on the shady side - just as individual scales are darker at the edges. Such scales could never belong to a cirrocumulus cloud, which, as we know, does not have shading. It was an altocumulus of the Altocumulus stratiformis perlucidus variety (that is, a cloud layer covering a wide area of ​​the sky, with small gaps between individual clouds). A little time will pass, I thought, and the sky, decorated with these clouds, will be called "carp sky."

common carp, being freshwater fish, living in the dark depths of muddy lakes, is simply obliged to be strikingly different from such a powerful deep-sea commercial fish as king mackerel. As if knowing its place, the "carp sky" predicts nothing more than the approach of a light rain. Grey-haired old sailors at his appearance do not at all consider it necessary to remove the grottoes and batten down the hatches in anticipation of a violent Atlantic storm.

No, the "carp sky" rather reminds a dozing angler that in a couple of hours he should get his raincoat, because it is possible that a light rain awaits him before tea.