Cumulus Archives - Page 6 of 6

Cumulus

Note for these clips in particular: due to the cloud video service, the alternate video source will have higher quality for most users.

The lower, ‘fluffy’ clouds known as cumulus get their name from the Latin word meaning ‘accumulation’ or ‘heap,’ perfectly capturing their bunched-up form. While typically found in the lower atmosphere, cumulus-like (cumuliform) clouds can experience convective forces at all levels.

As these clouds become more convective—a process driven by temperature differences resulting from cloud density and the heating of the sun and land—they can grow into towering cumulonimbus clouds. This development occurs when cooled air and water from the shaded, dense regions of the cloud descend as precipitation.

The cumulus clouds shown here are light to medium in density and remain below 4800 feet. A striking observation is that these lower clouds often move counter to the direction of upper-level clouds.

Their movement appears almost autonomous, with each water droplet’s path affected by countless other droplets and minuscule air currents, resulting in highly intricate patterns.

This complexity likely contributes to the challenges in smoothly rendering time-lapses of cumulus clouds; the data requirements for capturing such detail at a given quality level are substantial.

Slower full motion of sky clouds for general use and background purpose

No alternate video source

Scene notes:

An original, recently remastered time-lapse of the sky with clouds.
Time-lapse length (30 fps):
1 minute, 57 seconds and 3 frames.

blues | cumulus | full motion | long | slower | whites
1 of 3 | Full motion time-lapse of blue sky clouds straight above

View with alternate video source

Scene notes:

Cumulus clouds above shift in complex air patterns.
Time-lapse length (30 fps):
1 minute, 47 seconds.

blues | cumulus | full motion | long | slower | whites
Delicate day clouds move slowly directly overhead mid-day, longest clip

Scene notes:

This full-motion clip points nearly straight up at passing fluffy Cumulus clouds, every complex air movement of the outside of these clouds is observable against the blue sky. This is the longest clip of the collection.
Time-lapse length (30 fps):
2 minutes, 13 seconds and 13

blues | cumulus | full motion | long | longer | slower | whites
Light towering clouds overhead

View with alternate video source

Scene notes:

A single cloud, first visible then obscured goes high into the sky, propelled by rapid ground heating in the mid-day sunlight.
Time-lapse length (30 fps):
7 seconds.

towering clouds
Thick clouds contrasting against the late afternoon sun

View with alternate video source

Scene notes:

Mixed clouds with no horizon of Earth.
Time-lapse length (30 fps):
8 seconds.

afternoon | brighter | clouds | no horizon | shadows
Clearing skies with no land horizon

View with alternate video source

Scene notes:

Lower level, medium-dense clouds clear out to a hazy blue sky.
Time-lapse length (30 fps):
19 seconds.

afternoon | blues | clearing | clouds | cumulus | haze | whites