- A scheme of distinguishing and grouping clouds according to their appearance, and, where possible, to their process of formation.
The one in general use, based on a classification system introduced by Luke Howard in 1803, is that adopted by the World Meteorological Organization and published in the International Cloud Atlas (1956). This classification is based on the determination: 1) genera—the main characteristic forms of clouds; 2) species—the peculiarities in shape and differences in internal structure of clouds; 3) varieties—special characteristics of arrangement and transparency of clouds; 4) supplementary features and accessory clouds—appended and associated minor cloud forms; and 5) mother-clouds—the origin of clouds if formed from other clouds. The ten cloud genera are cirrus, cirrocumulus, cirrostratus, altocumulus, altostratus, nimbostratus, stratocumulus, stratus, cumulus, and cumulonimbus. The fourteen cloud species are fibratus, uncinus, spissatus, castellanus, floccus, stratiform, nebulosus, lenticularis, fractus, humilis, mediocris, congestus, calvus, and capillatus. The nine cloud varieties are intortus, vertebratus, undulatus, radiatus, lacunosus, duplicatus, translucidus, perlucidus, and opacus. The nine supplementary features and accessory clouds are incus, mamma, virga, praecipitatio, arcus, tuba, pileus, velum, and pannus. (Note: Although these are Latin words, it is proper convention to use only the singular endings, e.g., more than one cirrus cloud is cirrus, not cirri.)
- A scheme of classifying clouds according to their usual altitudes.
Three classes are distinguished: high, middle, and low. High clouds include cirrus, cirrocumulus, cirrostratus, occasionally altostratus, and the tops of cumulonimbus. The middle clouds are altocumulus, altostratus, nimbostratus and portions of cumulus and cumulonimbus. The low clouds are stratocumulus, stratus and most cumulus and cumulonimbus bases, and sometimes nimbostratus. - A scheme of classifying clouds according to their particulate composition, namely, water clouds, ice-crystal clouds, and mixed clouds.
The first are composed entirely of water droplets (ordinary and/or supercooled), the second entirely of ice crystals, and the third a combination of the first two. Of the cloud genera, only cirrostratus and cirrus are always ice-crystal clouds; cirrocumulus can also be mixed; and only cumulonimbus is always mixed. Altostratus is nearly always mixed, but can occasionally be water. All the rest of the genera are usually water clouds, occasionally mixed; altocumulus, cumulus, nimbostratus, and stratocumulus.
Howard, L. 1803. On the Modifications of Clouds. J. Taylor, London.
World Meteorological Organization 1956. International Cloud Atlas. Volumes I and II.
