Cirrus castellanus or Cirrus castellatus is a species of
cirrus cloud
Cirrus ( cloud classification symbol: Ci) is a genus of high cloud made of ice crystals. Cirrus clouds typically appear delicate and wispy with white strands. Cirrus are usually formed when warm, dry air rises, causing water vapor deposition on ...
. Its name comes from the word ''
castellanus
A castellanus (or castellatus) (from latin ''castellanus'', castle) is a cloud that displays at least in its upper part cumuliform protuberances having the shape of turrets that give a crenellated aspect. Some of these turrets are higher than the ...
'', which means ''of a fort'', ''of a castle'' in
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
. Like all cirrus, this species occurs at high altitudes. It appears as separate turrets rising from a lower-level
cloud base
A cloud base (or the base of the cloud) is the lowest altitude of the visible portion of a cloud. It is traditionally expressed either in metres or feet above mean sea level or above a planetary surface, or as the pressure level corresponding to ...
. Often these cloud turrets form in lines, and they can be taller than they are wide. This cloud species is usually dense in formation.
See also
*
List of cloud types
The list of cloud types groups all genera as ''high'' (cirro-, cirrus), ''middle'' (alto-), ''multi-level'' (nimbo-, cumulo-, cumulus), and ''low'' (strato-, stratus). These groupings are determined by the altitude level or levels in the troposphe ...
References
External links
International Cloud Atlas - Cirrus fibratus
Cirrus
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