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What Are Swelling Cumulus Clouds?

Clouds consist of water or ice crystals that act as a natural cleanser for the atmosphere. If it weren't for clouds, the air would be quite toxic due to all the dust that accumulates as particulate matter. The small particles act as a nucleus, and water vapor gathers around it to form a droplet of rain. When the rain falls, the air is left cleaner.

Swelling Cumulus
- A swelling cumulus cloud is a type of "heap" cloud. The cloud swells vertically, typically indicative of a rising unstable condition, which will typically give way to a storm. Inside the cloud, water vapor condenses to form liquid droplets. These droplets release heat, which rises in the cloud. Swelling cumulus clouds differ from normal cumulus in that they swell or get bigger vertically, whereas regular cumulus rarely rises higher than 3,280 feet, or just 6/10 of a mile.
Heap Cloud
- Heap clouds are towering clouds with bumpy tops and defined edges, somewhat resembling popcorn. They can reach heights of up to 65,000 feet, or 12.3 miles, whereas simple stratus or low clouds don't rise above 10,000 feet. The swelling cumulus clouds can reach heights between 9,840 and 22,960 feet -- between 1.8 and 4.3 miles. Other heap clouds include regular cumulus clouds and the non-precipitating cumulonimbus clouds.
Other Cloud Types
- Layer clouds, heap-and-layer clouds, and precipitating clouds are the other types of clouds. Layer clouds spread out in thin tiers. They typically don't have as much vertical thickness as a heap cloud, measuring less than 3,280 feet from top to bottom. Stratus, altostratus and cirrostratus are considered layer clouds. Heap-and-layer clouds are heap clouds that spread out horizontally due to the several layers of stable air within the atmosphere. Stratocumulus, altocumulus and cirrocumulus are in this category. Lastly, nimbostratus, cumulonimbus and cirrus are the clouds that produce rain or other precipitation.
Weather
- Understanding the types of clouds you see may help you know what kind of weather is approaching. For example, cumulonimbus clouds are quite distinctive in their appearance; they have flat tops and bottoms, and the bottom is often quite dark. Because of their instability, swelling cumulus clouds can quickly turn into cumulonimbus clouds, which are known for producing thunderstorms.

Nature