Which cloud type is described as "heap"?

Which cloud type is described as "heap"?

• A. Cirrus (curl)
• B. Cumulus (heap)
• C. Stratus (layer)
• D. Nimbus (precipitation)

Answer: (B)

Clouds are named for how they look and how they form. The word cumulus comes from Latin for heap or pile, and these clouds have a distinct, rounded, puffy shape that resembles cotton balls piled together. They form when warm air rises from the surface, cools as it ascends, and condenses into visible droplets. That upward motion gives them a vertical, lumpy appearance with a well-defined base, which is why they’re described as a heap. In contrast, high, wispy Cirrus clouds look like thin curls or threads in the sky; Stratus clouds form as flat, widespread layers that cover large portions of the sky; and Nimbus (often seen in terms like nimbus or cumulonimbus) refers to rain-bearing clouds, not a heap-like shape. So the description “heap” best matches the puffy, piled look of cumulus clouds.

Clouds are named for how they look and how they form. The word cumulus comes from Latin for heap or pile, and these clouds have a distinct, rounded, puffy shape that resembles cotton balls piled together. They form when warm air rises from the surface, cools as it ascends, and condenses into visible droplets. That upward motion gives them a vertical, lumpy appearance with a well-defined base, which is why they’re described as a heap.

In contrast, high, wispy Cirrus clouds look like thin curls or threads in the sky; Stratus clouds form as flat, widespread layers that cover large portions of the sky; and Nimbus (often seen in terms like nimbus or cumulonimbus) refers to rain-bearing clouds, not a heap-like shape. So the description “heap” best matches the puffy, piled look of cumulus clouds.