Which term refers to a cloud that is in contact with the ground?

Which term refers to a cloud that is in contact with the ground?

• A. Radiation Fog
• B. Nimbostratus
• C. Cirrocumulus
• D. Fog

Answer: (D)

Fog is the term used when a cloud is in contact with the ground. It forms when moist air near the surface cools to its dew point (or is forced to saturate) so the tiny droplets become visible as a cloud right at ground level, which is why visibility can drop to near zero on foggy mornings. The other terms describe clouds that occur aloft or are a specific fog subtype, not the ground-contact condition itself: Cirrocumulus and Nimbostratus are higher-altitude clouds, while radiation fog is a type of fog produced by radiational cooling. The broad descriptor for a cloud at the surface is fog.

Fog is the term used when a cloud is in contact with the ground. It forms when moist air near the surface cools to its dew point (or is forced to saturate) so the tiny droplets become visible as a cloud right at ground level, which is why visibility can drop to near zero on foggy mornings. The other terms describe clouds that occur aloft or are a specific fog subtype, not the ground-contact condition itself: Cirrocumulus and Nimbostratus are higher-altitude clouds, while radiation fog is a type of fog produced by radiational cooling. The broad descriptor for a cloud at the surface is fog.