Mondo Knows Facts
Cumulonimbus cloud towers can reach twelve kilometres high
Powerful convective updrafts push storm clouds into the lower stratosphere
Cumulonimbus clouds are towering thunderclouds driven by intense atmospheric convection when warm moist air rises rapidly through cooler surroundings. These massive storm systems can extend from low altitudes up to 12 kilometres into the stratosphere, where high altitude winds flatten their tops into characteristic anvil shapes. They generate heavy rainfall, hail, lightning, and tornadoes.
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Tags: earth science, clouds, weather
Cumulonimbus cloud towers can reach twelve kilometres high: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- Powerful convective updrafts push storm clouds into the lower stratosphere. The figure is taken from NOAA, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
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