DOI Heft:
No. 18 (September, 1894)
DOI Artikel:Bate, H. Francis: Clouds
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17190#0206
Clouds. By Francis Bate
from taint of earth, that it is
particularly faint and dainty in
colour, and in close harmony with
the palpitating sky. Amongst the
pictures here reproduced from
some beautiful photographic
studies of clouds, no example of
the pure cirrus-cloud will be seen.
It is no doubt extremely difficult
to photograph so fair and slight
a thing. (2) Cumulus does not
present the same difficulties, and
several forms of it are here excel-
lently illustrated. Simple cumu-
lus indicates cloud of a rocky or
lumpy character, that may fre-
quently be seen in enormous
masses, great mountains of the
air, grand in fulness of light and
shade (No. II.), and perfect in
gradation of exquisite colours.
(3) Stratus is the term applied to
thin fiat sheets or bands of cloud
(No. VIII.). (4) Nimbus de-
scribes cloud from which rain is
falling or about to fall (No. VI.).
The six other classes of cloud,
whose titles are formed by com-
binations of these four names,,
will, so far as the character of
their shape is concerned, be fairly
well explained by their titles, and
some of them are happily further
explained by the pictures.
From the names of clouds may
be also roughly understood a
certain relative degree of altitude.
Cirrus moves always at the highest
altitude. The composites are
found in the middle layer, and
cumulus usually in the lowest.
No certain height can be taken
to define the limits of these three
regions of clouds. But it may
be accepted that the clouds of
the highest region, cirrus—the
curl cloud—is never formed below
cumulus. Although pure cumu
lus, the base of which is usually
about 4000 feet above us, may be
formed up to at least 25,000 feet,
cirrus whose average height varies
from 25,000 feet up to at least
vi., vii. cloud studies photographed by a. h. corder 50,000 feet, has been observed as
188
from taint of earth, that it is
particularly faint and dainty in
colour, and in close harmony with
the palpitating sky. Amongst the
pictures here reproduced from
some beautiful photographic
studies of clouds, no example of
the pure cirrus-cloud will be seen.
It is no doubt extremely difficult
to photograph so fair and slight
a thing. (2) Cumulus does not
present the same difficulties, and
several forms of it are here excel-
lently illustrated. Simple cumu-
lus indicates cloud of a rocky or
lumpy character, that may fre-
quently be seen in enormous
masses, great mountains of the
air, grand in fulness of light and
shade (No. II.), and perfect in
gradation of exquisite colours.
(3) Stratus is the term applied to
thin fiat sheets or bands of cloud
(No. VIII.). (4) Nimbus de-
scribes cloud from which rain is
falling or about to fall (No. VI.).
The six other classes of cloud,
whose titles are formed by com-
binations of these four names,,
will, so far as the character of
their shape is concerned, be fairly
well explained by their titles, and
some of them are happily further
explained by the pictures.
From the names of clouds may
be also roughly understood a
certain relative degree of altitude.
Cirrus moves always at the highest
altitude. The composites are
found in the middle layer, and
cumulus usually in the lowest.
No certain height can be taken
to define the limits of these three
regions of clouds. But it may
be accepted that the clouds of
the highest region, cirrus—the
curl cloud—is never formed below
cumulus. Although pure cumu
lus, the base of which is usually
about 4000 feet above us, may be
formed up to at least 25,000 feet,
cirrus whose average height varies
from 25,000 feet up to at least
vi., vii. cloud studies photographed by a. h. corder 50,000 feet, has been observed as
188