Visible mass of condensed droplets or frozen crystals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of Earth or other planets.

Nephology.

Water vapour.

The formation of precipitation in the cold clouds of the mid and upper latitudes by ice crystal growth.

1. Stratus

2. Cumulus

3. High

4. Cirrus

5. Cirrus Uncinus

6. Cirro Cumulus

7. Middle

8. Alto Cumulus     and

9. Altostratus and more of them with sub classificiations.

CUMULUS - appears like a puffy pop corn with noticeable vertical development and clearly defined edges.

CUMULONIMBUS - form alone or in clusters or along a cold front in a squall line. Involved with tornadoes also.

A group of clouds.

A cloud fied resembling a honey comb, with clouds around the edges and clear open space in the middle.

Which is cloudy in the center and clear on the edges, similar to a filled honey comb.

Indicates what is going on inside the clouds.

Process of absorption and reflection of sunlight, leads to different colours like white, grey, black etc.,

Greenish Tinge. A cumulonimbus cloud with a greenish tinge. The colour is produced when the sunlight gets scattered by ice.

During sun rise and sun set and are the result of the sunlight absorbed by the atmosphere itself.

A recently recognised phenomenon thought to be caused by the changes to the reflectivity of clouds due to the increased presence of Aerosols and other particulates in the atmosphere.

A suspension of colloidal particles in a gas. Technically refers to air-borne liquid droplets or solid particles (also called dust) and particulate matter (referred to as pm).

Caused by decreased amounts of particulate matter, there is less surface area for condensation to occur. Since there is less condensation to occur in the atmosphere and increased evaporation, caused by increasing amounts of sunlight striking the water surface, there is more moisture causing fewer but thicker clouds.

Also called Vapour Trails. They are artificial cirrus clouds formed by the exhause fumes of aircraft engines or wing tip vortices (related to mid air fuelling system plane), which precipitate a stream of tiny ice crystals in moist frigid upper air.

Yes. They do have and such planets are:

Venus: Clouds composed of mainly sulphuric acid droplets.

Mars: Has high thin clouds of ice.

Jupiter and Saturn: Have three decks of clouds. The outer deck composed of Ammonia, middle deck with Ammonium Hydrosulphide and the inner deck of water clouds.

Uranus and Neptune: Methane dominated clouds.

Titan the moon of Saturn has clouds mainly composed of liquid methane.

Is a measure of the reflectivity of a cloud. Higher values mean that the cloud can reflect more solar radiation.

A society founded by Gravin Pretor Penny of UK in January 2005 to foster understanding and appreciation of clouds and their importances.

The lowest altitude of the visible portion of the cloud.

A form of weather modification, an attempt to change the amount or type of precipitation that falls from cloud by dispersing chemical substances in the air, that serve as 'cloud condensation' or 'ice nuclei'.

Silver Iodide or Dry Ice.

The process by which two or more droplets or particles merge during contact to form a single droplet or bubble. It is involved in the formation of rain drops and in many other areas of Meteorology and Astrophysics. The term is also used in welding technology.

Condensation of water vapour in the atmosphere by the cooling of air. During the night the earth cools more rapidly than air above it. Dew is always found on the ground in the morning hours.

It is of a given parcel of air, in the temperature to which the parcel must be cooled at constant barometric pressure for water vapour to condense into water.

A cloud in contact with the ground, hill tops, or mountain ridges. Fog is defined as a cloud, which reduces visibility to less than 1 Km.

A meteorological term applied to a cellular pattern of pouches hanging underneath the base of a cloud.

A phenomenon of small droplets suspended in air. It can occur as part of natural weather or volcanic activity and is common in cold air, abovewarm water, is exhaled air in the cold, and in steam room of Sauna Bath.It can also be created artificially with Aerosol cannisters, if humidity conditions are right.

It is defined as Mist where it reduces visibility to less than 2 Kms. Mist makes a beam of light from the side via refraction and reflection of the suspended droplets.

Fog - a cloud resting on the earth. Mist - a fog floating high in the air.

Any product of the condensation of atmospheric vapour that is deposited on the earth's surface.

A phenomenon in which a huge mass of moisture carrying cloud, bursts into a heavy downpour, on account of condensation of its entire volume of water vapour at the same time.

Not related to actual cloud. A distinctive mushroom shaped cloud of smoke, flame or debris, resulting from a very large explosion. Commonly associatedwith nuclear explosions, volcanic eruptions, and similar impact events.

Feather like crystals of ice deposits on the ground in the same manner as dew.

It is the temperature, either hot or cold, prevailing at different periods. The climate in different places vary according to the location of the places, in relation to the latitudes and longitudes, equator and poles.

1. Torrid    2. Frigid   and    3. Temperate.

Regions lying between 23.5 degree north and 23.5 degree south of the equator between Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Hottestzone as the Sun's rays fall vertically over this zone/region.

There are two sub zones.
1. North Frigid: Regions lying between 66.5 degree north and 90.5 degree north from the Arctic circle to the North Pole. Coldest climate throughout.
2. South Frigid: Regions lying between 66.5 to 90 degree south between the Antarctic Circle and the South Pole. Extremely cold throughout the year. In both these zones, sun's rays are excluded entirely for atleast one whole day in a year.

There are two sub zones.

1. North Temperate: Regions lying between 23.5 degree north (Tropic of Cancer) and 66.5 degree North Arctic Circle.

2. South Temperate: Regions lying between 23.5 degree South (Tropic of Capricorn) and 66.5 degree South Antarctic circle. They are further divided into different climatic regions to enable proper vegetation plans.

Climatic conditions prevailing at different set pattern of periods is called a Season. The general categories are: Spring : March, April ; Summer: May, June and July. Autumn: September, October. Winter: December and January.

The type of climate where the Sea, rather than a land mass, is the dominant influencing factor to a particular climate at different periods.

The gradual drying up of a region, either because of a change in climate or as a result of man's interference.

Places that are diametrically opposite to each other. At the antipodes, the season, day and nights are reversed. This condition does not apply to antipodes of equatorial regions, because the antipodes of any place on the equator is also on the equator and therefore has the same geographical effect of seasons etc., The antipodes of any region, being at the opposite side of the world, differ from one another by 12 hours.

Air in motion.

Difference in air pressure on the earth's surface causes the movement of air.

Earth's rotation.

Trade winds and Westerly winds.

Regular - Trade Winds and Westerlies. Periodical - Seasonal winds Eg. Monsoon. Variable - Cyclone and other local winds.

Also called Equatorial Belt of Calms - It is a low pressure belt in the Equatorial regions, when the north eastern and south eastern trade winds meet. The belt is characterized by high variable winds, stormy weather and heavy rain.

A strong wind that blows between 62 to 101 Kmph.

An internationally accepted instrument with series of numbers, devised by Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort, in 1805, to indicate different wind strength.

This law states that in the Northern Hemisphere, the winds move anticlockwise around centers of low pressure and clockwise around centers of high pressure. It is the reverse in the Southern Hemisphere.

The law states that winds tend to be deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere, owing to earth's rotation.

Integrated system of wind and air movement caused by the existence of permanent areas of high and low pressure on the Earth's surface. They are:
1. Equatorial Calms (Doldrums)
2. Trade Winds
3. Prevailing Westerlies
4. Polar High and 5. Polar Westerlies.

A violent wind storm accompanied by intense cold and driving powdery ice snow or crystals.

The region of high pressure near the Tropic of Cancer where the winds are light and calm.

The belt of high pressure near the Tropic of Capricorn where the winds are light and calm.

The upward flow of air that has been heated by contact with the earth's surface. As it warms, air expands and rises, cold air takes its place at the surface, and in turn gets heated. This process is called Convection.

The side or direction which is sheltered from the wind, like a mountain range

The movement of warm air from tropical to temperate latitudes or from sea to land.

These are pressure belts on the earth's surface which cause the planetarywind system:
1. Equatorial low pressure belt due to excessive heat.
2. Sub tropical high pressure belt on both sides the Equator at about 30 degree north and 30 degree south.
3. High pressure belt around 60 degree north and south, are temperate low pressure belts.
4. Polar regions are regions of permanent high pressure belts.

Are seasonal winds that blow on a set pattern. This pattern of wind activity is mainly on the Indian ocean - over India, Sri Lanka, Andaman and Nicobar island and Lakshadweep.

India, Sri Lanka, Islands and Island nations on Indian Ocean, USA and Northern Australia.

Western Ghats and the Himalayas.

1. SOUTH WEST: Sets around the end of May over the Indian Ocean and lasts up to mid July. Andaman and Nicobar islands, Kerala, coastal Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat and some regions of Central India.
2. NORTH EAST: Called the Retreating Monsoon. Commences in September and completes the cycle in November/December in Bay of Bengal. The main states benefited by this monsoon are some North and North Eastern states and mainly Bihar, Chhatisgarh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu.

It is a global ocean and atmosphere coupled phenomenon. An important temperature fluctuations in surface waters of the tropical eastern pacific ocean. In simple, it is the major warming of the Equatorial waters in the pacific ocean.

Sir Gilbert Thomas Walker of UK in 1923.

It is a spanish word meaning "Little Boy". It occurs around 'christmas' in the tropical Pacific oceans .

A source of precipitation which forms when separate drops of water, fall to the earth's surface from the clouds.

The moisture from the oceans, and other water bodies evaporate, condense and precipitate up to the sky and returns to the air via sunlight and the rivers and the cycle repeats.

It is the formation of precipitation in the cold clouds of the mid and upperlatitudes by ice crystal growth. It is the scientific explanation of how rains form and fall.

Rain, Sleet, hail, snow or other forms of water falling from the sky.

The rains are categorised as

1. Amount of Precipitation    and

2. Reason for precipitation.

Based on these two factors, rains are further classified as very light, light, moderate, heavy, very heavy and down pour.

Also called "Relief Rain ". It is caused when the warm moisture laden wind blowing into the land from the sea encounters a natural barrier like mountain etc.,

Indian monsoonic rains. 80% of Indian rains come under this category.

The evaporated moisture from various earthly sources, along with surrounding hot air rises. At higher altitudes, due to different atmosphericpressure they expand dynamically and experiences decreased temperature, increased humidity and the condensation process takes over and rain droplets form to occur. This process of rain formation is called the Convective rain.

Occur mainly in the equatorial climatic regions and tropical climatic regions where it is very hot during the day. Normally occurs in the late afternoon, accompanied by heavy lightning and thunderstorms.

KAL BAISAKHI a type of rain in Bengal is the best example for this.

Caused by cyclonic activity and it occurs along the fronts of the cyclone. It is formed when two masses of air of different temperature, humidity and density meet. This type of rain falls steadily for few hours to few days.

Rain Gauge: It is used to measure the amount of rain fall. It is expressed as the depth of water that collects on a flat surface, and is routinely measured with an accuracy up to 0.1 to 0.01 mm.

1. Graduated Cylinders

2. Weighing Gauges

3. Tipping Bucket Gauge

4. Buried Pit Collectors     and

5. Standard Rain Gauge.

Generally spherical. Larger drops are flatter in bottom.

Philip Lenard of Hungarian-German in 1892. His work on this is known as "Lenard Effect" - 1892.

2 mm.

10mm - over Brazil and Marshal Islands.

Cherra Punji near Shillong, Assam.

The leeward side of a mountain which receives very little rain fall, since the rain bearing winds deposit their moisture on the windward side itself. Thus the leeward side is Rain Shadow area.

A region where the atmospheric pressure is lowest with relation to the surrounding area.

A type of storm system characterised by a low pressure center and thunderstorms, producing strong wind and flooding rains.

A violently rotating column of air which is in contact with both a cumulonimbus cloud base and the surface of the earth. It can come in many sizes, but are typically in the form of visible condensation funnel, with the narrow end touching the Earth. A cloud debris encircles the lower portionof the funnel.

Between 110 to 175 Kmph, approximately 250 feet across and travels a few kilometers and dissipate. In very rare cases they may reach up to 400 plus kmph, spread across a kilometer and stay on the ground for dozens of miles. It is a regular feature in USA.

1. Multiple Vortex Tornado

2. Satellite Tornado    and

3. Water Sprouts - a tornado over water.

A tropical cyclone that normally occurs in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, affecting Mexico, Central America and Caribbean islands.

Naming of a hurricane has become necessary to identify and make forecasts properly, when two or more hurricanes occur at the same time. An international committee of the International Meteorological Organization has come out with six set of list of names comprising male and female namesto be used alternatively to name the Hurricanes.

An anticyclone occurs when wind blow outward from high pressure region at the center towards the low pressure region around it. The wind blow spirally outwards in a clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere, and, in anticlockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere.

A small atmospheric vortex that comes from surface heating.

Seaward winds.

Mount Washington, New Hampshire, UK.