GlossaryStratocumulus
Genus · Low · Sc
Stratocumulus
Stratocumulus
Definition
A genus of low cloud forming a layer of joined patches, rolls or cells, usually with visible shading and darker undersides, and often with blue sky showing between elements.
Field note
Stratocumulus is the most common cloud on Earth. Layer plus structure is the test: remove the structure and it becomes stratus, remove the layer and it becomes cumulus.
- Added
- 7 July 2026
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- Class
- Genus
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- Low
Read the full field note
Stratocumulus: the most common cloud on Earth
If you averaged the whole sky over the whole planet over a whole year, stratocumulus would win. It covers something like 20 to 25 per cent of the Earth's surface at any moment, mostly over the oceans, and it is the cloud that decides how much sunlight the planet reflects. It is also the cloud that most often gets called 'just grey' and then mis-identified.