STRATOCUMULUS (SC)

Gray and/or whitish patches, sheets, or layers of clouds composed of rounded masses or rolls, which are nonfibrous and which may or may not be merged. Stratocumulus clouds can result when layers of clouds are heated from below and convection follows. Stratocumulus clouds, one of four genera that are hybrids of cumulus clouds, are made up of water drops and possibly hail and snow. They are very common over portions of the world's oceans and are thought to be very important in determining the Earth's radiation budget. [See also cumulus.]