Plate III · Form & Altitude 03 / 12

The Naming of Clouds

A natural history of clouds, arranged by form and altitude

Cirrus — reveals the architecture of the upper wind

The cirrus traces what instruments cannot — upper winds rendered in ice at altitudes above six thousand metres.

Cumulus — measures the earth's own warmth

Each flat base marks the condensation level precisely — a daily barometer written in water vapour and ascending air.

Stratus — holds the stillness between seen and unseen

Formed when air cools without rising, veiling the horizon in a boundary defined by temperature alone.

Nimbus — names itself by what it gives

The only form defined by its consequence rather than its appearance — structure that dissolves into what it produces.

This is the Cloud Atlas Plate design system, applied by Curio Design — a design-style library for AI agents. Full Cloud Atlas Plate guide → designbycurio.com/learn/cloud-atlas-howard-1890