Cirrocumulus lacunosus

Cloud type

Cirrocumulus lacunosus
Cirrocumulus stratiformis lacunosus cloud
Abbreviation	Cc la
Symbol
Genus	Cirro- (curl) -cumulus (heaped)
Variety	lacunosus (full of gaps)
Altitude	Above 6,000 m (Above 20,000 ft)
Appearance	Perforated with round, frayed holes^[1]
Precipitation	Virga only

Cirrocumulus lacunosus also known as Cirrocumulus lacunar or Cirrocumulus lacunaris ^[2] is a type of cirrocumulus cloud. The term lacunosus is from Latin, meaning "full of hollows".^[3] Cirrocumulus lacunosus is a relatively rare cloud form that occurs as a layer of cloud with circular holes in it. Formation is commonly attributed to a cool layer mixing with a warmer, higher layer of the atmosphere.^[4]^[5] These holes normally have frayed edges, and they are often arranged in a manner that resembles a net or a honeycomb.^[6]

This term applies mainly to Cirrocumulus and Altocumulus; it may also apply, though very rarely, to Stratocumulus.^[7]

References

^ Wolken-Online. "Cirrocumulus". Cloud Atlas. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
^ "Appendix 3 - History of cloud nomenclature".
^ Numen - The Latin Lexicon. "Definition of stratus". Retrieved 21 July 2011.
^ "Cirrocumulus Lacunosus Cloud - EPOD - a service of USRA".
^ Dunlop, Storm (2003). The weather identification handbook (1st Lyons Press ed.). Guilford, Conn.: Lyons Press. p. 67. ISBN 1-58574-857-9.
^ Callanan, Martin. "Cirrocumulus lacunosus". International Cloud Atlas. nephology.eu. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
^ "Lacunosus". World Metereological Organization. wmo.int. Retrieved 1 April 2023. Definitions of clouds > Varieties > Lacunosus

External links

International Cloud Atlas – Cirrocumulus lacunosus Archived 2022-11-13 at the Wayback Machine - currently inaccessible, date checked: 2023-04-01
World Metereological Organization - cloud variety "lacunosus"

Cirrocumulus cloud (Cc) types

Species

Cirrocumulus castellanus (Cc cas)
Cirrocumulus floccus (Cc flo)
Cirrocumulus lenticularis (Cc len)
Cirrocumulus stratiformis (Cc str)

Varieties

Cirrocumulus lacunosus (Cc la)
Cirrocumulus undulatus (Cc un)

Variants

Cirrocumulus mamma
Cirrocumulus virga

Cloud genera and selected species, supplementary features, and other airborne hydrometeors - WMO Latin terminology except where indicated

Mesospheric

Extreme-level
80–85 km

Noctilucent (NLC) Polar mesospheric clouds	Noctilucent type I veils Noctilucent type II bands Noctilucent type III billows Noctilucent type IV whirls

Stratospheric

Very high-level
15–30 km

Nacreous polar stratospheric clouds (PSC)	Cirriform nacreous Lenticular nacreous
Nitric acid and water polar stratospheric clouds (PSC)	No differentiated sub-types; tends to resemble cirrostratus

Tropospheric

High-level
3–18 km

Cirrus (Ci)

Species	Cirrus castellanus (Ci cas) Cirrus fibratus (Ci fib) Cirrus floccus (Ci flo) Cirrus spissatus (Ci spa) Cirrus uncinus (Ci unc)
Ci-only varieties	Cirrus intortus (Ci in) Cirrus vertebratus (Ci ve)

Cirrocumulus (Cc)

Species	Cirrocumulus castellanus (Cc cas) Cirrocumulus floccus (Cc flo) Cirrocumulus lenticularis (Cc len) Cirrocumulus stratiformis (Cc str)

Cirrostratus (Cs)

Species	Cirrostratus fibratus (Cs fib) Cirrostratus nebulosus (Cs neb)

High-level-only
mutatus cloud

Mutatus non-height specific (see below)

Medium-level
2–8 km

Altocumulus (Ac)

Species	Altocumulus castellanus (Ac cas) Altocumulus floccus (Ac flo) Altocumulus lenticularis (Ac len) Altocumulus stratiformis (Ac str) Altocumulus volutus (Ac vol)

Altostratus (As)

Altostratus undulatus

Nimbostratus (Ns)
Multi-level

Varieties	Nimbostratus virga (Ns vir)

Low-level
0–2 km

Cumulonimbus (Cb)
Towering vertical

Species	Cumulonimbus calvus (Cb cal) Cumulonimbus capillatus (Cb cap)
Cb-only supplementary features	Cumulonimbus cauda ((cau) Tail cloud) Cumulonimbus incus (inc) Cumulonimbus murus ((mur) Wall cloud)
Cb-only accessories and other	Cumulonimbus flumen ((Cb flu) Beaver tail) Overshooting top Hot tower

Cumulus (Cu)
Variable vertical extent

Species	Fractus Cumulus humilis (Cu hum) Cumulus mediocris (Cu med) (Cumulus congestus (Cu con) (Cumulus castellanus (unofficial alternative name for Cu con)) (ICAO term for Cu con and "Cu cas" is Towering cumulus [Tcu]))
Other	Horseshoe Trade wind cumulus

Stratus (St)

Species	Stratus fractus (St fra) Stratus nebulosus (St neb)
St-only genitus cloud and other	Stratus silvagenitus (St sil) Fog (Fg) Surface level

Stratocumulus (Sc)

Species	Stratocumulus castellanus (Sc cas) Stratocumulus floccus (Sc flo) Stratocumulus lenticularis (Sc len) Stratocumulus stratiformis (Sc str) Stratocumulus Undulatus Stratocumulus volutus (Sc vol)

Low-level-only
supplementary features

Arcus ((arc) Shelf)
Tuba ((tub) Funnel cloud)

Low-level-only
accessory cloud and other

Pileus (pil)
Velum (vel)
Pannus (pan)
Other- Actinoform cloud (Stratocumulus)

Non-height
specific

Varieties	Duplicatus (du) Lacunosus (la) Opacus (op) Perlucidus (pe) Radiatus (ra) Translucidus (tr) Undulatus (un)
Supplementary features	Asperitas (asp) Cavum (cav) Fluctus (flu) Mamma (mam) Praecipitatio (pra) Virga (vir)
Mother clouds and human-made clouds	(Mother cloud)+genitus (e.g. cumulogenitus (cugen) (Mother cloud)+mutatus (e.g. cumulomutatus (cumut) Homogenitus (hogen) Homomutatus (homut)