Mr. Fetch’s Earth Science Classroom
What is a cloud?
Clouds: groups of tiny water drops.
Air rises Air coolsAir
condenses
CLOUDS FORM WHEN:
Mr. Fetch’s Earth Science Classroom
4 Ways to get air to rise.
• Warm air rises.
Convection
• Air rises up over a mountain.
Orographic Lifting
• A cold front lifts air up as it moves.
Frontal Lifting
• Wind hits from opposite directions and goes up.Convergen
ce
Mr. Fetch’s Earth Science Classroom
Convective Lifting
BACK
Mr. Fetch’s Earth Science Classroom
Cooling air causes it to Condense
1. Air cools by expanding.2. Cooling air increases Relative Humidity.3. Air becomes full of water } SATURATED4. Water condenses out of the air. GAS LIQUID
The temperature when
condensation begins is
called the Dewpoint
Temperature.
Dust and salt in the
atmosphere are examples of
condensation nuclei
Clusters of water drops are called clouds.