Clouds are made of tiny water droplets and ice crystals floating in the earth’s atmosphere. Along with looking beautiful, clouds also help regulate the earth’s weather. They replenish the water in water bodies and save vegetation on earth. The clouds of different sizes and shapes keep floating in the sky. They are mostly white or grey in colors. Let’s learn in detail about clouds, their formation and types.

What Are Clouds?
How Are Clouds Formed?
Why Clouds Float
Types of Clouds
Importance of Clouds
Interesting Facts about Clouds

What are Clouds

Clouds are groups of tiny water droplets or ice crystals that float in the atmosphere. Because of the small size and lightweight of the droplets they float in the air instead of falling back on the ground. Clouds may seem soft and weightless but they hold massive amounts of water. Millions of pounds of water is packed in a large cloud. Mostly clouds are white in colour as the water droplets inside them are closely packed with each other and reflect light from the sun.

How are Clouds Formed

Sun causes the water from oceans, rivers, ponds and lakes to evaporate, turning it into water vapours. The warm air lifts the water vapours up in the earth’s atmosphere. As the air rises the temperature becomes cooler and changes back into water droplets or ice crystals which then clump together in huge numbers to form clouds.

Why do Clouds Float

The droplets of water in clouds are very tiny and lightweight. The rising warm air continues to lift them in the atmosphere. Despite the steady pull of gravity, the droplets are so small that they fall very slowly. When the droplets clump together and become heavy, they start falling in the form of rain, snow, or hail.

Types of Clouds

Four different types of clouds are cirrus, cumulus, stratus and nimbus. Let’s learn about each of them one by one.

Cirrus: These are thin and wispy clouds found higher in the atmosphere. They are mostly made of ice crystals and appear like feathers and are usually white in colour.

Cumulus: These puffy and white clouds that look like cotton wool are often visible on sunny days and they usually indicate clear weather. They are seen dispersed in the sky.

Stratus: These grey clouds are horizontal in shape covering a large portion of the sky with a single pattern. Location at a medium height these clouds can bring little rain.

Nimbus: These black and grey clouds are found in the lower altitude that completely cover the sunlight. They are the types of clouds that cause heavy rainfall and thunderstorms.

Importance of Clouds

Clouds play an important role in controlling earth’s temperature. They are also the natural purifiers of water on earth. The salty water from the sea and oceans evaporates, leaving behind salts to form clouds. The clouds cause rain and the water comes back on earth as fresh water. If there are no clouds, then there will be no fresh water to drink or grow food. Clouds also support vegetation on earth and keep it green. They make the sky look beautiful as well as are essential for maintaining weather, rainfall and climate balance. Understanding clouds helps us better appreciate the natural processes happening above us every day.