Stratus nebulosus is a species of low-level
stratus cloud
Stratus clouds are low-level clouds characterized by horizontal layering with a uniform base, as opposed to convective or cumuliform clouds formed by rising thermals. The term ''stratus'' describes flat, hazy, featureless clouds at low altit ...
.
It is one of only two species that is associated with stratus clouds, other being fractus.
Translated from Latin meaning nebulous, their cloud abbreviations can be respectively written as ‘St neb’. For a cloud to be classified as nebulosus, there has to be zero sign of detail in the cloud.
Low-level
fog
Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Reprint from Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus and is heavily influenc ...
is an example of stratus nebulosus.
Its usual appearance is a sheet of gray sitting above the ground. Very dense fog can be classified as stratus nebulosus opacus, which translates to a stratus cloud that has no detail and is dark enough to block out sunlight. Stratus nebulosus clouds are commonly paired with cloud varieties
opacus (opaque) and
translucidus
Translucidus is a Cloud, cloud variety. It appears in Altocumulus cloud, altocumulus, Altostratus cloud, altostratus, Stratus cloud, stratus, and Stratocumulus cloud, stratocumulus clouds. The cloud variety is very recognizable, with its defining f ...
(see-through) and can produce precipitation (praecipitatio) on occasion.
The nebulosus cloud species is common, and more commonly found in stratus cloud formations relative to cirrostratus clouds.
See also
*
List of cloud types
The list of cloud types groups all genera as ''high'' (cirro-, cirrus), ''middle'' (alto-), ''multi-level'' (nimbo-, cumulo-, cumulus), and ''low'' (strato-, stratus). These groupings are determined by the altitude level or levels in the troposphe ...
References
Stratus
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