Daily Static Quiz Prelims Practice 2027
Cirrus clouds form above 6,000 m, are composed of ice crystals, and appear as thin white streaks or wisps often called "mare's tails" — the highest of the common cloud types. Altostratus is a mid-level cloud between 2,000 and 6,000 m, a grey-blue sheet that frequently precedes rain. Nimbostratus is a thick mid-to-low-level rain cloud, dark and featureless, responsible for prolonged continuous precipitation. Stratocumulus is a low-level cloud appearing as lumpy grey-white patches and is the most common cloud type globally.
List I (Cloud)
A. Cirrostratus
B. Altocumulus
C. Stratus
D. Cumulonimbus
List II (Level)
1. Low-level
2. High-level
3. Vertical (multi-level)
4. Mid-level
Cirrostratus is high-level, forming above 6,000 m as a thin ice-crystal sheet that produces halo effects around the sun and moon. Altocumulus is mid-level, between 2,000 and 6,000 m, appearing as white or grey patches and waves that often signal unsettled weather, while Stratus is low-level, below 2,000 m, forming the uniform grey sheet closest to the ground that often produces drizzle. Cumulonimbus is the vertical or multi-level cloud — the giant thunderstorm cloud extending from low to high levels and capable of lightning, hail and heavy rain.
- Cumulonimbus clouds are classified as vertical clouds and can extend from the lower troposphere to the tropopause.
- The anvil-shaped top of a Cumulonimbus cloud is formed when the cloud reaches the tropopause and spreads horizontally due to temperature inversion.
- Cumulonimbus clouds are associated with calm, drizzly weather and never produce lightning.
- Cumulonimbus is sometimes called the "King of Clouds" due to its towering vertical extent and violent weather.
Statements 1, 2 and 4 are correct. Cumulonimbus clouds are vertical clouds running from a base around 500 m to tops of 12,000–15,000 m, spanning the full depth of the troposphere, and their iconic anvil top (incus) forms when rising air meets the temperature inversion at the tropopause and spreads laterally — a classic and frequently tested feature. The name "King of Clouds" is widely used in meteorological literature for its dramatic vertical development and destructive potential. Statement 3 states the exact opposite of reality, since cumulonimbus clouds are the primary producers of thunderstorms, lightning, hail and torrential rain.
Nimbostratus is the classic rain cloud — a thick, dark, featureless layer stretching across the sky at low-to-mid levels that delivers prolonged continuous precipitation, and the prefix "nimbo-" itself means rain-bearing. Altostratus is a mid-level grey sheet that can produce light rain but is neither as dark nor as thick. Cirrostratus is a high-level ice-crystal sheet that yields no significant precipitation and is known instead for halo effects. Stratocumulus, the most common low-level cloud, rarely produces more than light drizzle.
Reason (R): Cirrocumulus clouds form at high altitudes from a mixture of ice crystals and supercooled water droplets, and their instability causes them to quickly transform into Cirrus or Cirrostratus clouds.
The Assertion is correct — cirrocumulus clouds form the distinctive "mackerel sky" of tiny rippled tufts and are genuinely uncommon compared with other cloud types. The Reason is also correct, since cirrocumulus form at high altitude from a mixture of ice crystals and supercooled water droplets, and their instability makes them short-lived, transitioning rapidly into cirrus or cirrostratus. However, the Reason explains only why they are transient; it does not account for the rippled, row-like appearance described in the Assertion, so it is not a full explanation of A.
