Tag: the atmosphere

Cirrus, cumulus, and stratus are the types of cloud. Cirrus clouds are very thin and white in colour. They are formed of ice crystals and give a feathery appearance. They are the highest clouds. Cumulus clouds are generally dense and with sharp outlines, developing vertically in the form of rising mounds, domes or towers, of which the bulging upper parts often resemble a cauliflower. Stratus clouds resemble fog and made up of almost equal layers. Occasionally, they are broken into patches separated by blue sky by the incoming wind. Stratus clouds are grey in colour. 

The particles of condensed moisture held in suspension close to the surface of the earth are known as mist. They form at lower density as compared to fog. Their visibility is more than 1,000 meters. They are quicker to dissipate. They can rapidly disappear with even slight winds. Mist is what we see when we see our breath on a cold day.

Water in atmosphere is recharged through hydrological cycle. In hydrological cycle, water is evaporated from the surface of the ocean. As moist air is lifted, it cools and clouds are formed by condensation of water vapors. These clouds transfer this water to ground through rains. Groundwater either seeps its way to into the oceans, rivers, and streams, or is released back into the atmosphere through transpiration. This cycle keeps repeating itself to keep balance of water.

• The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the world's five oceans, followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean.
  
•  It covers an area of about 155 million square kilometers (about 60 million square miles).
  
• The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of the world ocean basins.
  
• It covers around a third of the Earth's total area, more than all the land in the world.
  

• The diameter of the earth at the equator is 12756 km, thus the option A is the correct answer.