Stratocumulus castellanus cloud

Stratocumulus castellanus or Stratocumulus castellatus[1] is a type of stratocumulus cloud, castellanus is derived from Latin, meaning 'of a castle' This type of cloud appears as cumuliform turrets vertically rising from a common horizontal cloud base, these turrets are taller than they are wide[2]

Stratocumulus castellanus
Stratocumulus castellanus, with various turrets of very small size and one of a larger size
AbbreviationSc cas
Symbol
GenusStratocumulus
SpeciesCastellanus
AltitudeAbove 2,000 m
(Above 6,560 ft)
Appearancesmall turrets
PrecipitationVirga, and sometimes light rain

This type of cloud indicates an increasingly unstable atmosphere,[3] and seeing this type of cloud in the morning usually means that there is a possibility of thunderstorms forming later in the afternoon[4] In the right conditions, these clouds can grow into cumulus congestus clouds, and sometimes, into cumulonimbus clouds[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Appendix 3 - History of cloud nomenclature".
  2. ^ "Stratocumulus castellanus (Sc cas) | International Cloud Atlas". 2021-09-19. Archived from the original on 2021-09-19. Retrieved 2021-11-02.
  3. ^ World Meteorological Organization (1975). Manual on the observation of clouds and other meteors. Internet Archive. Geneva : Secretariat of the World Meteorological Organization. ISBN 978-92-63-10407-6.
  4. ^ "Castellanus Clouds: Rising Towers, Turrets | WhatsThisCloud". 2021-11-02. Archived from the original on 2021-11-02. Retrieved 2021-11-02.
  5. ^ "Stratocumulus castellanus (Sc cas) | International Cloud Atlas". 2021-09-19. Archived from the original on 2021-09-19. Retrieved 2021-11-02.