Cloud If the air becomes more unstable, the cloud tends to grow vertically into the species "mediocris", then "congestus", the tallest cumulus species which is the same type that the International Civil Aviation Organization refers to as 'towering cumulus'. With highly unstable atmospheric conditions, large cumulus may continue to grow into cumulonimbus "calvus" (essentially a very tall congestus cloud that produces thunder), then ultimately into the species "capillatus" when supercooled water droplets at the top of the cloud turn into ice crystals giving it a cirriform appearance. All cloud varieties fall into one of two main groups. One group identifies the
Altostratus undulatus cloud elements that have stretched through the sky. They often run parallel, but can also appear to interweave across the sky, especially if dual wave systems are seen (also referred to as biundulatus). Gravity waves aligned normally to the direction of the wind can show wide, near-parallel cloud strips. Altostratus undulatus cloud The altostratus undulatus is a type of altostratus cloud with signature undulations within it. These undulations may be visible (usually as "wavy bases"), but frequently they are indiscernible to the naked eye. These formations will generally appear in the early stages of destabilizing return flows, especially over the southern