Clouds are common and mysterious at the same time. How much do you know about those clouds in the sky? Here are some interesting facts about the clouds.
1. A cloud weighs about 80 elephants
Why can't such a heavy cloud fall? Is it because it is too high? Or is it because there is a hook in the sky? neither! Clouds are held up by strong updrafts! Clouds are fighting in "clusters". However, each cloud droplet is an independent individual, and its mass and volume are too small to fall off under the force of airflow. The same principle applies to the breath exhaled in winter, which has the same composition as the cloud, but falls and disappears before it escapes your mouth.
2. The thickest clouds can drown Mount Everest
Clouds are thicker than you can imagine. When the "big" cumulonimbus in the cloud family develops and matures, the thickness can reach about 12 kilometers, which is 12,000 meters, and even 15,000-18,000 meters in tropical regions! Consider that the height of Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world, is only 8,844 meters. Cumulonimbus clouds can engulf the world's highest mountain!
3. Clouds run as fast as cars
The cloud runs at an average speed of 36 kilometers per hour, and the fastest can reach 50-60 kilometers, which is comparable to a normal car in the urban area. Generally speaking, the higher the cloud, the faster it runs, because the higher the height in the troposphere and the higher the wind speed, the faster the cloud runs.
4. The white fog at the tail of the aircraft is exhaust
The plane flew by, leaving a long white tail. In reality, that tail is a condensation of water droplets, or ice crystals, created by the combination of moist air released by the plane and the cold air above. It also has an official name called "Track Cloud".
5. The energy contained in the cloud is equivalent to 10 times that of the atomic bomb
Clouds are not quiet. When extremely destructive weather such as rainstorms, lightning or tornadoes occurs, the energy of the cloud can explode - the sum of the energy is equivalent to a full 10 times the energy of the atomic bomb! The resulting turbulence can easily overturn an aircraft in the air.
6. Why does it often rain in summer with "black clouds over the top"
The sky is always dark when it rains in summer. This is all because of cumulonimbus clouds. In summer, the water vapor is abundant and the convection is strong, and the cumulonimbus clouds will become very thick. When the thickest, they can reach the top of the troposphere, which can block the entire sky, and it will never be vague when it rains. In winter, the formation of precipitation is Nimbostratus, which is very thin and can only make the sky look gray when it rains.
7. Some regions use the cloud as a lucky charm
Clouds can represent luck, really? In the Middle East, if someone said to you "your sky is full of clouds". Don't be surprised, that means you are lucky or blessed. Why do people in the Middle East use the cloud as a mascot? Because of the long dry and hot seasons in the Middle East, the appearance of clouds is approximately equal to the arrival of rain, which is rain for desert climates.
8. Can clouds be split by lightning?
A lightning flashed and the cloud was split? It's an illusion! A flash of lightning crossed, and the big tree by the road would be split. Why don't clouds get split? Because lightning is formed by the strong discharge of positive and negative charges in the cloud or between the cloud and the ground, the water droplets contained in the cloud are too small to be split. The tree is solid, with a large area of force, and it is easy to be split.
