Cirrus vertebratus

Form of cirrus cloud

Cirrus vertebratus

Cirrus vertebratus cloud

Abbreviation| Ci ve
Symbol|
Genus| Cirrus (curl)
Species| vertebratus (jointed)
Altitude| Above 6,000 m
(Above 20,000 ft)
Classification| Family A (High-level)
Appearance| looks like a spinal column or a fish skeleton[1]
Precipitation| No

Cirrus vertebratus is a type of cirrus cloud. The name cirrus vertebratus is derived from Latin, meaning "jointed, articulated, vertebrated".[2] Like cirrus intortus, the vertebratus species is exclusive to the cirrus genus.[3] Cirrus vertebratus gives the impression of vertebrae in a spinal column, ribs, or a fish skeleton.[4]

The species is an unusual form of cirrus clouds and is formed by air moving parallel to the main cloud line. The gaps in the cloud occur where air is descending, while the "ribs" of the cloud correspond with areas of uplift. Their occurrence appears to be connected with the location of the jet stream.[5]

## See also

[edit]

* List of cloud types

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Wolken Online. "Cirrus". Cloud Atlas. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
2. ^ Numen - The Latin Lexicon. "Definition of vertebratus". Retrieved 13 July 2011.
3. ^ Dunlop, Storm (2003). The weather identification handbook (1st Lyons Press ed.). Guilford, Conn.: Lyons Press. p. 58\. ISBN 1-58574-857-9.
4. ^ Callanan, Martin. "Cirrus vertebratus". International Cloud Atlas. nephology.eu. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
5. ^ Wolstanton Weather. "Cumulus Clouds". Clouds. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2011.

## External links

[edit]

* International Cloud Atlas – Cirrus vertebratus Archived 2020-02-25 at the Wayback Machine

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Cirrus cloud (Ci) types

Species|

* Cirrus castellanus (Ci cas)
* Cirrus fibratus (Ci fib)
* Cirrus floccus (Ci flo)
* Cirrus spissatus (Ci spa)
* Cirrus uncinus (Ci unc)

Varieties|

* Cirrus duplicatus (Ci du)
* Cirrus intortus (Ci in)
* Cirrus radiatus (Ci ra)
* Cirrus vertebratus (Ci ve)

Variants|

* Cirrus aviaticus

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Cloud genera and selected species, supplementary features, and other airborne hydrometeors \- WMO Latin terminology except where indicated

Mesospheric|

| Extreme-level
80–85 km|

| Noctilucent (NLC)
Polar mesospheric clouds|

* Noctilucent type I veils
* Noctilucent type II bands
* Noctilucent type III billows
* Noctilucent type IV whirls

|

Stratospheric|

| Very high-level
15–30 km|

| Nacreous polar stratospheric clouds (PSC)|

* Cirriform nacreous
* Lenticular nacreous

|

Nitric acid and water
polar stratospheric clouds (PSC)|

* No differentiated sub-types; tends to resemble cirrostratus

Tropospheric|

| High-level
3–18 km|

| Cirrus (Ci)|

| Species|

* Cirrus castellanus (Ci cas)
* Cirrus fibratus (Ci fib)
* Cirrus floccus (Ci flo)
* Cirrus spissatus (Ci spa)
* Cirrus uncinus (Ci unc)

|

Ci-only varieties|

* Cirrus intortus (Ci in)
* Cirrus vertebratus (Ci ve)

Cirrocumulus (Cc)|

| Species|

* Cirrocumulus castellanus (Cc cas)
* Cirrocumulus floccus (Cc flo)
* Cirrocumulus lenticularis (Cc len)
* Cirrocumulus stratiformis (Cc str)

|

Cirrostratus (Cs)|

| Species|

* Cirrostratus fibratus (Cs fib)
* Cirrostratus nebulosus (Cs neb)

|

High-level-only
mutatus cloud|

* Mutatus non-height specific (see below)

Medium-level
2–8 km|

| Altocumulus (Ac)|

| Species|

* Altocumulus castellanus (Ac cas)
* Altocumulus floccus (Ac flo)
* Altocumulus lacunosus (Ac la)
* Altocumulus lenticularis (Ac len)
* Altocumulus stratiformis (Ac str)
* Altocumulus volutus (Ac vol)

|

Altostratus (As)|

* Altostratus undulatus

Nimbostratus (Ns)
Multi-level|

| Varieties|

* Nimbostratus virga (Ns vir)

|

Low-level
0–2 km|

| Cumulonimbus (Cb)
Towering vertical|

| Species|

* Cumulonimbus calvus (Cb cal)
* Cumulonimbus capillatus (Cb cap)

|

Cb-only supplementary features|

* Cumulonimbus cauda ((cau) Tail cloud)
* Cumulonimbus incus (inc)
* Cumulonimbus murus ((mur) Wall cloud)

Cb-only accessories and other|

* Cumulonimbus flumen ((Cb flu) Beaver tail)
* Overshooting top
* Hot tower

Cumulus (Cu)
Variable vertical extent|

| Species|

* Fractus
* Cumulus humilis (Cu hum)
* Cumulus mediocris (Cu med)
* (Cumulus congestus (Cu con) (Cumulus castellanus (unofficial alternative name for Cu con)) (ICAO term for Cu con and "Cu cas" is Towering cumulus [Tcu]))

|

Other|

* Horseshoe
* Trade wind cumulus

Stratus (St)|

| Species|

* Stratus fractus (St fra)
* Stratus nebulosus (St neb)

|

St-only genitus cloud and other|

* Stratus silvagenitus (St sil)
* Fog (Fg) Surface level

Stratocumulus (Sc)|

| Species|

* Stratocumulus castellanus (Sc cas)
* Stratocumulus floccus (Sc flo)
* Stratocumulus lenticularis (Sc len)
* Stratocumulus stratiformis (Sc str)
* Stratocumulus Undulatus
* Stratocumulus volutus (Sc vol)

|

Low-level-only
supplementary features|

* Arcus ((arc) Shelf)
* Tuba ((tub) Funnel cloud)

Low-level-only
accessory cloud and other|

* Pileus (pil)
* Velum (vel)
* Pannus (pan)
* Other- Actinoform cloud (Stratocumulus)

Non-height
specific|

| Varieties|

* Duplicatus (du)
* Lacunosus (la)
* Opacus (op)
* Perlucidus (pe)
* Radiatus (ra)
* Translucidus (tr)
* Undulatus (un)

|

Supplementary features|

* Asperitas (asp)
* Cavum (cav)
* Fluctus (flu)
* Mamma (mam)
* Praecipitatio (pra)
* Virga (vir)

Mother clouds
and human-made clouds|

* (Mother cloud)+genitus (e.g. cumulogenitus (cugen)
* (Mother cloud)+mutatus (e.g. cumulomutatus (cumut)

* Homogenitus (hogen)
* Homomutatus (homut)

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