Questions Submitted by Estes Park Middle School Students
Questions from 6th grade class
Why are there low clouds and high clouds in the atmosphere?
Low clouds tend to be formed in air influenced by the surface below--for example when the land heats up in the afternoon and clouds develop high clouds can be created from big storms that create anvils when they reach the top of the troposphere.
Is there a lot of lightning in the rain clouds where you are? What happens when lightning hits the ocean from the rain clouds?
There is no lightning here. That's because the clouds are all above freezing. To get lightning, you need strong updrafts and downdrafts, or deep convection.
How cold does a cloud have to get in order to rain?
The clouds here are all above freezing. For these kinds of clouds, how thick the clouds are, and how much water they hold, is more important.
Answers to the following questions will be posted as soon as Judy and Paquita are able to send them.
- Do the trade winds and current vary a great deal during the year? How do you predict cloud formation, weather, and climate from wind and currents?
- Why do you only travel in an 8km long path to study the rain clouds?
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