Каждый раз, когда вы смотрите на небо, вы можете видеть облака, но нет двух одинаковых облаков, а некоторые очень сильно отличаются друг от друга. Итак, что же создает облака? И почему некоторые облака выглядят тонкими и воздушными, а другие выглядят большими и пушистыми?
Any time you look up into the sky, you may see clouds but no two clouds look alike, and some look very different from each other. So, what makes clouds? And why do some clouds look thin and wispy, while others look big and fluffy?
What makes clouds? (Что создает облака?)
Clouds are formed by water vapour in the atmosphere that condenses into very small water droplets or ice crystals and then gathers together. When water on the earth evaporates, it turns into an invisible vapour that rises until it reaches colder air high in the sky. In these colder temperatures, the vapour condenses or changes back into a liquid. Eventually, the water droplets will fall back to earth as rain, snow, or ice. This is known as the water cycle.
Water vapour (Водяные пары)
There is always at least some water vapour in the air. Clouds only form when the atmosphere cannot hold any more vapour. Since warm air can hold more water vapour than cool air, clouds are often formed when the temperature cools. Although they may look light and fluffy, clouds are actually very heavy.
A single cloud may weigh as much as several million tons. They do not fall because warm air currents push up against the tiny droplets and individual droplet are not heavy enough to overcome the resistance of the air below them until they join together into much larger drops.
Basic types of clouds (Основные типы облаков)
There are five basic types of clouds: cirrus [sɪrəs], stratus [ˈstreɪtəs], stratocumulus, cumulus [ˈkjuːmjʊləs], and cumulonimbus [ˈkjuːmjʊləˈnɪmbəs]. Cirrus clouds are high and thin. Because the air is so cold at high altitudes, these clouds are made of ice crystals instead of water droplets. Cirrus clouds are sometimes called mares’ tails because they are shaped something like the tail of a horse. The appearance of cirrus clouds often means a day of fair weather.
Stratus clouds are shaped like flat sheets. They may occur at low, middle, or high altitudes. When stratus clouds layer thickly, they may produce light rain or snow.
Слоистые облака имеют форму плоских листов. Они могут появляться на низких, средних или больших высотах. Когда слоистые облака густые, они могут давать легкий дождь или снег.
Stratocumulus clouds make rolls or ripples and can occur at low, middle, or high altitudes.
Cumulus clouds are puffy and small when they first form, but they may grow into much taller cloud formations. When lit by the sun, cumulus clouds are bright white and are often seen on days of good weather.
Кучевые облака являются пухлыми и маленькими, когда они сначала формируются, но они могут вырасти в гораздо более высокие облачные образования. При освещении солнцем кучевые облака ярко-белые и часто видны в дни хорошей погоды.
Cumulonimbus clouds
Cumulonimbus clouds are thunderclouds. Heavy and dense, they are very large and similar to cumulus clouds. They may produce lightning, rain, hail, and tornadoes.
Different types of clouds can indicate different kinds of weather, but aside from that, identifying clouds is fun! Next time you are outside, look up and see if you can identify the clouds where you are.
Различные типы облаков могут указывать на разные виды погоды, но помимо этого, определение типов облаков — это весело!
Вам могут понравиться Идиомы о погоде