A new cloud on the horizon

July 6, 8:33 PMDC Weather ExaminerScott Sumner

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Clouds...without them our planet would not look the same and life as we know it would not be the same. Clouds act as a insulator to the sun's rays and help to replenish the earth's rainfall. Today's classification of cloud names came about in the early to mid19th century, by a English chemist and amateur meteorologist Luke Howard. Known as the "Father of Meteorology", his work helped to transform the science of meteorology, in two major ways. One avenue he pioneered in dealt with urban climate, which contained continuous daily observations of wind direction, atmospheric pressure, maximum temperature, and rainfall in an urban area; with the other, the naming of our three current cloud groups- Cirrus, Cumulus and Stratus. Over time he observed heaps of separated cloud masses with flat bottoms and cauliflower tops, and named them cumulus ( Latin for heap ); layers of cloud much wider than they are thick, like a blanket or a mattress, which he named stratus ( Latin for layer ); and then noticed wispy curls, like a child's hair, which he called cirrus ( Latin for curl ). For clouds generating precipitation, he gave the name nimbus, which is Latin for rain.
Before Luke Howard's time, clouds had no names and were not well understood, so his studies and work in this area of meteorology, was and to this day is certainly groundbreaking material. Highlighted below are few significant years where additional cloud classification work was done:

1855- French Scientist Emilien Renou added the classification of mid level Altostratus and Altocumulus clouds.
1887- Cloud types expanded to account for the height of the clouds above ground, or there vertical appearance. This system of grouping cloud types is still in use
today.
1894- During the Meteorological Conference in Munich a cloud atlas was proposed and eventually prepared. The cloud atlas can be see below or here.

ATLAS OF CLOUD FORMS
1. Stratus--- Level sheet of low cloud below 3,000 feet.
1a. Fracto-stratus--- Ragged Stratus. Drifting masses of low cloud.
2. Nimbus--- Shapeless cloud with ragged lower edge and rain falling (base below 7,000 feet).
3. Cumulus--- Detached cloud with flat base (mean height 4,500 feet) and rounded top (mean height 6,000 feet).
3a. Fracto-cumulus--- Ragged cumulus in drifting masses, 4,000 feet 0,000 feet.
3b. Cumulo-nimbus--- Mountainous mass (reaching sometimes from 5,000 feet to 25,000 feet). Thunder cloud with large u anvil " of false cirrus.
Shower cloud ; top fringed with false cirrus.
3c. Mammato-cumulus--- The last stage of cumulo-nimbus.
3d. Strato cumulus--- Layer of lumpy clouds below 7,000 feet.
4. Alto-stratus--- Level sheet at middle height 10,000 to 23,000 feet. Layer of large cloudlets in rows or waves at middle height.
5. Cirro-cumulus--- Higher than alto-cumulus. Mackerel sky : layer of small cloudlets in waves.
6. Alto-cumulus-lenticularis--- Almond- shaped banks of cloudlets at alto-cumulus level.
7. Cirro-cumulus-lenticularis--- Almond- shaped banks of cloudlets at cirro-runntlits level.
8. Cirrus--- Mare* tails with tufted ends (often at about 30,000 feet).
9. Cirro-stratus--- Uniform sheet of very high cloud (30,000 feet), line of ragged cumulus about 25,000 feet below.

Fast forwarding to modern times and over a hundred years after the Munich Conference, a group called the Cloud Appreciation Society and others, believe another cloud type has arrived on the scene. Noticed above the flat plains in Iowa and Australia, to Britain, New Zealand and just off the coast of Greenland, this new cloud called "Asperatus" ( Latin for rough ) has those at the Royal Meteorological Society (RMS) gathering detailed weather data for the days and locations it was seen, in attempt to understand what maybe causing this cloud to form. On par with the American Meteorological Society (AMS) here in the states, the RMS is the Learned and Professional Society for anyone whose profession or interests are connected with weather overseas. When interviewed, Paul Hardaker, the Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, said: "The process is a long and convoluted one to get through, but we believe there is a good case for this cloud to be added." Hardaker also added: "Clouds are very important in the Earth's climate as depending where they are in the atmosphere they will either reflect heat or absorb and trap heat. We are only just starting to understand that role."

So what is it about this cloud, that makes it stand out from the standard three groups? Well it might appear at a quick glance to be a mamatus cloud, which is part of the cumulus family and is generally seen when turbulent weather is around, but from those who have viewed its magnificent beauty, say it looks more like a angry ocean swell than anything else, thereby making it standout from the other classifications. Others in the scientific field say that it does not need to stand alone and could instead fit into the existing categories, but again more research is needed on this type of cloud.

Since meteorology is not a precise science and will never be one, it is topic such as this, that I find interesting and in essence has brought me into this profession. In the slide show below, I have a few photos of the "Asperatus" cloud that I would like to share with you. As interest to me, please pass along your comments on whether or not this cloud should have its own grouping, or if it should fall within the original three classifications.
 

Photo Above: Luke Howard

Info Credit: Wikipedia, Justin Fritscher (rankinledger.com)  http://www.rankinledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090623/OPINION/906230304/-1/weather

Info Credit: about.com http://inventors.about.com/od/britishinventions/a/clouds.htm