Pouches in the sky: Mammatus clouds spark global interest

In news: Mammatus clouds over Russia

1. Uplift of air (due to heating, mountains, fronts or convergence)
2. Adiabatic cooling (temperature drops as air rises and pressure decreases)
3. Condensation when the air reaches the dew point (requires condensation nuclei)
4. Aggregation of condensed water droplets to form visible cloud masses
Factors that define the shape of clouds
Several physical factors govern cloud shapes:

Factor	Influence
Altitude	High clouds are thin; low clouds are denser and layered
Temperature	Affects ice or water droplet formation
Humidity	Determines size and density of the cloud
Wind patterns	Horizontal vs vertical growth
Atmospheric Stability	Unstable air leads to vertical (cumulus) clouds; stable air leads to horizontal (stratus) clouds
Topography	Mountains can induce specific types like lenticular clouds

Rain-bearing vs non-rain-bearing clouds

Type	Description	Examples
Rain-bearing clouds	Dense, thick clouds capable of precipitation	Nimbostratus, Cumulonimbus
Non-rain-bearing clouds	Thin, wispy or layered clouds with minimal water content	Cirrus, Altostratus, Stratocumulus

Classification of clouds
Based on altitude

Level	Cloud types
High (Above 6,000 m)	Cirrus (Ci), Cirrostratus (Cs), Cirrocumulus (Cc)
Middle (2,000-6,000 m)	Altostratus (As), Altocumulus (Ac)
Low (Surface to 2,000 m)	Stratus (St), Stratocumulus (Sc), Nimbostratus (Ns)
Vertical Development	Cumulus (Cu), Cumulonimbus (Cb)

Based on shape

Shape	Cloud type
Layered	Stratus-type (flat, sheet-like)
Heap/Convectional	Cumulus-type (puffy, rising)
Wispy	Cirrus-type (feathery, high-altitude ice clouds)
Towering	Cumulonimbus (storm clouds, vertical extent)

Summary of key cloud types

Cloud	Appearance	Altitude	Precipitation	Note
Cirrus	Wispy, thin	High	No	Made of ice crystals
Cumulus	Puffy, cotton-like	Low to mid	No/light rain	Fair-weather cloud
Stratus	Flat, uniform layer	Low	Light drizzle	Fog-like when near surface
Nimbostratus	Thick, dark	Low to mid	Continuous rain	Covers large area
Cumulonimbus	Towering, anvil-top	Vertical	Heavy rain, thunder	Severe weather cloud
Mammatus	Pouch-like bulges under base	Below thunderclouds	No direct rain	Associated with turbulence

UPSC mains relevance – GS Paper I & III

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(geography, disaster management)

• Atmospheric phenomena
• Climatic classification and cloud formation
• Link with weather patterns and extreme events
• Application in aviation, meteorology, disaster forecasting
Sample UPSC questions
Short questions (prelims & basics)
1. Which type of cloud is associated with thunderstorms and severe weather?
2. Name any two high-level clouds.
3. Define “Mammatus clouds”.
Long questions (mains)
1. Explain the mechanism of cloud formation and the role of condensation nuclei.
2. Differentiate between rain-bearing and non-rain-bearing clouds with examples.
3. Discuss how different factors influence the shape and type of clouds in various atmospheric layers.
Analytical questions
1. “Clouds are indicators of climate and weather conditions.” Explain with reference to classification based on height and shape.
2. How can observation of specific cloud types (like cumulonimbus or mammatus) help in disaster forecasting?
3. With recent examples, analyse how cloud types are linked with extreme weather events globally.
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