Altocumulus Cloud Deck

July 05, 2019

20190617_altocumulus

Photographer: Jose Barros 
Summary Author: Jose Barros 

Shown above is a deck of altocumulus lit by the setting Sun as observed from my house in Lisbon, Portugal. Altocumulus clouds can form in several ways, such as; formation through the breakup of altostratus, the lifting of moist air pockets which are cooled by gentle turbulence and mountainous terrain producing atmospheric waves from which clouds may form in the crest of the wave. The presence of shading can help tell the difference between altocumulus and similar appearing but much higher cirrocumulus clouds. Cirrocumulus are nearly always white and individual clouds quite small, but altocumulus can be white or grey and shading is sometimes noted, particularly when the Sun is low in the sky. Photo taken on June 17, 2019.

Photo Details: Camera: Samsung SM-J530F; Exposure Time: 0.0017s (1/604); Aperture: ƒ/1.7; ISO equivalent: 40; Focal Length (35mm): 27.