Ologies with Alie Ward Smologies #32: CLOUDS with Rachel Storer
28 snips
Nov 25, 2023 Dr. Rachel Storer, cloud doctor and nephologist, discusses various types of clouds, how they form, and why they appear white. Topics also include fog, dew point, and the joy of observing the weather. The podcast episode highlights a charity focused on pyrocumulus clouds and wildfires in Australia and touches on the potential effects of climate change on cloud formations.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Cloud Composition
- Clouds are composed of tiny water droplets, often weighing tons.
- These droplets are so small that air currents keep them suspended.
Cloud Shapes
- Cumulus clouds, formed by rising warm air, are puffy like muffins.
- Stratus clouds, formed by larger, slower rising air masses, are layered like pancakes.
Unique Cloud Types
- Pyrocumulus clouds form from the intense heat of fires, creating strong updrafts.
- Lenticular clouds, often mistaken for UFOs, are wave clouds formed when stable air flows over mountains.