Cloud In Latin Luke Howard Concept

Stratocumulus, Nimbostratus, Cirrostratus, these are not the same as Abracadabra the magic word. A cloud in Latin is so named. In general terms, a cloud is a huge cottony ball of water vapor found in the sky. There are a variety of clouds and they are classified and named in Latin. Well, maybe because during the time these discoveries made, Latin was commonly used. Moreover, you will appreciate that most of the scientific nomenclature is done in Latin. Luke Howard, an English Pharmacist started the concept of cloud nomenclature in the year 1803.

Now, the name of a cloud in Latin is analyzed. Generally, clouds are named according to their appearance and type. Clouds have been observed to be of four basic types, namely, the ones that occur in heaps, the ones that occur in layers, the ones that curl up like strands of hair and the clouds that bring rain. The ones that occur in heaps are placed in the cumulus category, the ones that occur in layers are placed in the stratus category, the ones that curl up like hair are placed in the cirrus category and the rain bearing clouds are placed in the nimbus category.

Cumulus, stratus, cirrus, nimbus are Latin roots of cloud names. A cloud in Latin is named using permutations and combinations of these roots. Hence, a stratocumulus cloud is made up of two roots, stratus-meaning layer and cumulus meaning heap. Thus a stratocumulus cloud would simply mean a layer of heaped clouds and nimbostratus would mean a layer of rain bearing clouds. Two more terms alto meaning middle and fracto meaning broken can be used together with the other nomenclatural terms to classify clouds of further variety. After Luke Howard a lot of scientists have redefined and classified the cloud nomenclature.

Continuing with the very interesting topic of the name of a cloud in Latin, we can classify high-level clouds as the cirrus and cirrostratus clouds. The middle level clouds as altocumulus, and altostratus clouds and low level clouds as nimbostratus and stratocumulus clouds. The clouds which follow an alignment pattern vertically are classified in the fair weather cumulus and the cumulonimbus category. The cloud nomenclature further goes as contrails, billow clouds, orographic, mamnatus and pileus based on their specific characteristics.

The name of a cloud in Latin is given according to its appearance to an observer on the surface of the earth. From any other point in the atmosphere the cloud may not look exactly as described by the name given to it. After the appearance, the altitude of the cloud is a determining factor in the classification of the cloud. Weathernotebook