Photograph of cumulus clouds in the mountains of Colorado.
Click on image for full size
Courtesy of Lisa Gardiner
Clouds
Clouds are the pretty white fluffs you see in the sky. They are made up of
tiny water drops. Sometimes, if the wind is fast enough, you
can even watch the clouds move.
Clouds can come in all sizes and shapes and are formed by different processes. They can be
near the ground or way up high. Ever wonder what different types of clouds are called?
Different types of clouds cause different kinds of
weather. Sometimes clouds get dark and scary looking when a thunderstorm or tornado has formed.
At any given time, about half of Earth is covered by clouds. We would
not have rain, rainbows, or snow
without clouds. Clouds make up some of the atmospheric optics we can see in the sky. The atmosphere
would be boring if the sky was always blue!
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