аÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û

15 Fun Facts about Clouds

They’re fluffy, white, sometimes orange or red at sunset and in the morning. Some have beautiful patterns, adorning our skies on a sunny day, while others appear strange and almost scary before a storm. Clouds. Towering above us in the skies, these formations are simply incredible. From their formation process to their distinct qualities and crucial roles in our weather system, there’s more to clouds than we often think.

We could talk about the vaporization of water from the earth’s surface, and the ultimate condensation of the same to form a cloud. We could dive deeper into the intricate processes in the atmosphere leading to what we see in the sky, but for this one, we’re offering you some 15 fun, quirky facts about clouds that are probably not as common as the rest. Take a look!

1. About 67% of the earth’s surface is covered by cloud

Image by from

That’s a considerable percentage. NASA’s Earth Observatory estimates 67% of the Earth’s surface is cloud-covered at any given time. Satellite data collected over decades indicate that clouds dominate space-based views of the Earth. Over the oceans, especially. Other studies report that less than 10 percent of the sky is entirely cloudless at any one time.

Read also; 10 Amazing Facts About Cirrus Clouds.

2. Cloud cover is measured in Oktas

The unit of cloud-cover measurement is in Oktas, (eights of a sky). If the reading is zero oktas, that means the sky is completely cloud-free. That’s a clear sky. A sky covered in clouds entirely will thus have a cloud cover of eight oktas. Measuring cloud cover can be done by visual observation or satellite imagery, among other methods. Oktas only estimate cloud cover in terms of area, but cannot estimate cloud thickness, or type.

3. A typical cumulus cloud is heavier than a hundred elephants!

Photo by on

They may look like feathers up in the sky, floating so effortlessly but clouds are quite heavy. Scientists estimate the average weight of a cloud to be 500 tons!  An average elephant weighs about 4 tons, so think of that as almost a hundred of them! Now that’s pretty heavy.

Since clouds are made of tiny water droplets, calculating the mass of a cloud follows the typical math formula of density times volume. Scientists have calculated the density of an average cumulus cloud to be around ½ gram of water per cubic meter. The size of clouds will vary, as some may stretch about a kilometer in length and width, others more or less.

4. How do these heavy clouds stay afloat in the sky?

Having established that clouds are quite heavy, one has to wonder what keeps them afloat above our heads. The water vapor that rises is less dense than the air below. It’s the water vapor that condenses to form clouds. As air rises from the earth’s surface, the one below the cloud is denser than the cloud, hence it floats.

These formation processes make the clouds buoyant. Their mass is also not concentrated in one point. It’s spread out over a large area. The tiny water droplets forming clouds spread out like they are sometimes too tiny that gravity barely affects them.

5. Intense heating by volcanoes creates dangerous clouds

, , via Wikimedia Commons

When the earth’s surface heats up, the high temperatures cause air to rise. As it rises to cooler levels, it condenses into water droplets which form clouds. While the sun is primarily responsible for heating the earth’s surface, other activities such as volcanic eruptions, or wildfires can result in intense heating.

The latter scenario causes the rapid formation of clouds called pyrocumulus. This type of cloud can become a thundercloud if there’s sufficient water vapor. These then become pyrocumulonimbus. They are one of the most dangerous, as they can cause lightning, tornadoes, wind hazards, or hail.

Read more on; 15 Scary Facts about Thunderstorms.

6. Cloud sucks can kill

The term ‘cloud suck’ is a familiar one among paragliders. It’s a phenomenon whereby the air rising around the cloud base becomes quite strong, creating the potential for a significant lift which is often difficult to navigate.

If a paraglider is caught in such a strong updraft, such a sudden lift can easily place them in danger. They may experience reduced visibility which may make them collide with the cloud, a drastic drop in temperature, and general disorientation.

Paragliders usually avoid flying too close to clouds. A paraglider, Eva Wisnierska experienced this phenomenon on 14 February 2007. She was sucked up into a cloud at a speed of 45 mph, losing consciousness for an hour. Although she survived and was able to land, her body was covered in ice, and bruises from the impact of the collision with hailstones in the cloud. So, yes, cloud sucks are super dangerous.

See also; 15 Fun Facts about Earth’s Atmosphere.

7. Blue sky, white clouds. Why?

Photo by on

Have you ever wondered why the sky is blue? The answer has something to do with clouds being white too. The color spectrum of light, simply put. Light from the sun starts white, then gets scattered by particles in the sky. Blue light is scattered away by particles in the sky more than the other colors, hence the blue sky.

For clouds, light passing through them comes into contact with larger water droplets. These scatter the colors of the spectrum of light almost equally, hence clouds appear white since the sunlight maintains its white color. However, although most clouds appear white, others may display different colors such as gray and orange. This will depend on the conditions present.

8. The highest clouds can hardly be seen in daylight

Located at high altitudes of around 249,000 to 279,000 feet, noctilucent clouds are the highest in the Earth’s atmosphere. They are thought to be made of ice crystals, formed on very small dust particles found in the upper atmosphere. They are mostly found near the Arctic and Antarctic circles. One can see them on clear summer nights, but they’re very rare. They are also called night-shining clouds since they appear luminous. The name noctilucent in Latin roughly means ‘night-shining’.

9. Clouds are present on other planets too

Earth is not the only planet in our solar system with cloud cover. Planets such as Mars, Venus, and Jupiter have been found to have clouds too. Clouds have also been sighted on Saturn’s moon Titan. Clouds formed by liquid water droplets are found on Earth and Venus. Notably, clouds on other planets can be made of gases, and other suspended particles, not necessarily water.

Read also; 20 Fun Facts about Mars.

10. They contribute to balancing Earth’s temperature

As they allow sunlight through, they also trap the heat emissions by the earth’s surface, hence warming the earth. They thus act as a natural blanket. By reflecting solar radiation to space, they play a role in cooling down temperatures.

Check out the 35 Fascinating Facts about the Atlantic Ocean.

11. Oceans play a big role in cloud formation

The water that evaporates from the ocean accounts for almost 90% of the moisture in the atmosphere. It’s this water vapor that rises and cools to form clouds. Oceans are also critical players in influencing weather systems in general.

12. Clouds can indicate upcoming weather patterns or changes

Photo by on

Even laymen who’ve never been in a meteorological station can sometimes accurately tell how the day’s weather will be by looking at the sky. Once dark clouds are spotted, often towering and huge, they often indicate a gathering storm or heavy rain. The cumulonimbus clouds, often high, multi-level, plumes are known to produce thunder and lightning.

13. They sometimes display vibrant colors

Image by from

The occurrence is known as cloud iridescence and is quite rare. Just like rainbows on a clear sky, clouds can display beautiful colors when sunlight is diffracted by small water droplets or ice crystals forming clouds.

14. An aircraft’s engine exhaust  can form clouds

You’ve seen some white lines forming behind an aircraft, and sometimes they look like thin wool-like structures. These are known as contrails. They are a type of cloud that is formed through the condensation of the aircraft’s exhaust.

15. Some UFO-looking structures in the sky are merely clouds

Photo by on

Cloud formation can be quite fascinating especially when it comes to shapes. Fans of ‘cloud gazing’ find it a leisure activity, just finding shapes or different things and objects in cloud formations. Lenticular clouds, for example, can appear like UFOs. They look like huge, flying saucers. Due to their unique shape and appearance, they’ve been cited as an explanation for UFO sightings.

As we look up into the sky and admire the beautiful and seemingly simple forms, it’s fascinating to know that clouds play such an important role in weather patterns which have a significant impact on our survival.