What are the difference between the stratocumulus and cumulonimbus?
Well, the biggest difference is that stratocumulus are not associated with rain. For descriptive differences, I will tell you to study the Latin meaning for the root words. We have ‘strato’ which means layer or sheets; we have ‘cumulus’ which means puffy or heaps; and we have ‘nimbus’ which means rain. When you combine these meanings, you will note that stratocumulus clouds are a layer of puffy clouds where as cumulonimbus clouds typically are puffy and usually extend high into the troposphere. Upon appearance from the ground on an overcast day, the bases of these clouds will be very similar therefore the best characteristic to use for naming the cloud would be the presence or absence of rain.
