Illustration of an altostratus cloud; also referred to as "billow clouds," "windrow clouds," or "wave clouds," variations of the undulatus can be elements that have merged or single elements that have stretched through the sky
Illustration of stratocumulus clouds, belonging to a class characterized by large dark, rounded masses, usually in groups, lines, or waves. Weak convective currents create shallow cloud layers because of drier, stable air above preventing continued vertical development. Vast areas of subtropical and polar oceans are covered with massive sheets of stratocumuli
Illustration of a cumulus cloud, a cloud with noticeable vertical development and clearly defined edges. Cumulus means "heap" or "pile" in Latin. They are often described as "puffy" or "cotton-like" in appearance. Cumulus clouds typically form when warm air rises and reaches a level of comparatively cool air, where the moisture in the air condenses. This usually happens through convection, where a parcel of air is warmer than the surrounding air