Stratocumulus

Stratocumulus are gray or whitish, or even gray and whitish clouds, depending on the size of the water droplets and the amount of sunlight passing through them, often having shady parts, composed of mosaics, pebbles, scrolls, etc., which do not appear. fibrous (other than virgin), whether or not blended.

They are low clouds with round, cylindrical masses with a relatively flat top and base, interspersed with parts where the sky is visible. When in flight, there is turbulence within the cloud.

Stratocumulus form below 2400 meters in unstable air masses, where at their formation the humidity is moderate and the temperature is relatively low, and may eventually be accompanied by some light rainfall. They are formed by parallel band mosaics or round masses. Stratocumulus correspond to a stable situation outside the cloud (characteristic of Stratus) and unstable inside (characteristic of Cumulus).

They can be thick enough to completely hide the sun or moon (opacus), or they can allow their identification (translucidus). They may also arise from the increase in the elements of an Altocumulus, where a high Stratocumulus is easily confused with a low Altocumulus, with the basic difference that Stratocumulus does not produce iridescence and corona phenomena.

Vast subtropical and polar areas of the oceans are covered with massive stratocumulus layers. They can be organized into different patterns that are currently under study.

Subtypes
Stratocumulus castellanus

Stratocumulus stratiformis

Stratocumulus lenticularis

Stratocumulus undulatus

Stratocumulus radiatus

Stratocumulus lacunosus

Stratocumulus duplicatus

Stratocumulus translucidus

Stratocumulus perlucidus

Stratocumulus opacus

Stratocumulus vesperalis