Cirrus vertebratus

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]

References

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

External links

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

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

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 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)