images

Cumulus castellanus above Bahamas

by

Nasa/Novapix

Reference

t-nua04-00079

Date

2018-08-26

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station took this photograph of a massive vertical cloud formation—known to meteorologists as cumulus castellanus—above Andros Island (Bahamas). These towering columnar clouds are part of the genus cumulonimbus. The cloud name castellanus comes from the similarity to the crenellated towers or turrets of medieval castles. The International Cloud Atlas (World Meteorological Organization) classifies clouds of this type as either Altocumulus castellanus or Stratocumulus castellanus, depending on the base cloud height from which they develop. Regardless of the nomenclature, these clouds develop due to strong vertical air movement typically associated with thunderstorms.