Cumulonimbus velum

Velum near the top of a cumulonimbus

Cumulonimbus velum (Cb vel) (from the Latin cumulonimbus, "column-rain" + velum, "veil") is a cumulonimbus cloud with an accessory cloud veil wrapped around its mid area, representing an area of humid stable air created as a result of the growth of the parent cumulonimbus.[1] The altostratus velum cloud appears dark in comparison to its parent cloud, and can persist even after the cumulonimbus has disintegrated. The velum is very rare, as conditions necessary in development are infrequent.

References

  1. ^ "Velum". Meteorological glossary. American Meteorological Society. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
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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
Cirrocumulus (Cc)
Species
Cirrostratus (Cs)
Species
High-level-only
mutatus cloud
  • Mutatus non-height specific (see below)
Medium-level
2–8 km
Altocumulus (Ac)
Species
Altostratus (As)
Nimbostratus (Ns)
Multi-level
Varieties
Low-level
0–2 km
Cumulonimbus (Cb)
Towering vertical
Species
Cb-only supplementary features
Cb-only accessories and other
Cumulus (Cu)
Variable vertical extent
Species
Other
Stratus (St)
Species
St-only genitus cloud and other
Stratocumulus (Sc)
Species
Low-level-only
supplementary features
Low-level-only
accessory cloud and other
Non-height
specific
Varieties
Supplementary features
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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