Become an expert at spotting clouds—in one week
National Geographic's Wonder Lessons will teach you how to navigate the stars, spot cloud types, recognize common trees, and identify different kinds of rocks. Today, we’re learning how to spot cumulonimbus clouds.
When airline pilots announce that they are detouring around storm clouds, it is typically cumulonimbus that they are avoiding. And for good reason: As a cumulonimbus cloud grows, strong rising air currents—often reaching 30 to 70 feet per second—carry moisture upward, while precipitation falls through the cloud.
The flat-topped shape that can form at the top of a cumulonimbus cloud is the result of a boundary in the atmosphere called the tropopause, which marks the upper limit of where most weather occurs. Up close, a cumulonimbus cloud may look similar to a nimbostratus cloud, but precipitation will be stormier.
Ready to practice spotting cumulonimbus clouds? Test your knowledge below.
Want to experience more wonder? National Geographic’s Wonder List features playful prompts and activities that turn everyday moments into wonder-filled discoveries—for families, anywhere, every day.
Illustrations by: Matt Twombly
Interactive by: JoElla Carman
