QuickCheck: Is it true that a cloud can weigh around 500,000kg?

WHEN you look up at the sky on a fair weather day, you’ll undoubtedly see cumulus clouds. These big, fluffy, cotton-like clouds that lazily float above our heads don’t appear like they would weigh much – but looks can be deceiving.

It’s been reported across the internet that a cloud can weigh around 500,000kg (or 100 elephants).

Is this true?

Verdict:

TRUE

Well, based on the math, it is.

But how do you weigh a cloud, which is basically made from air and miniscule water droplets? Margaret (Peggy) LeMone, an atmospheric scientist at the US National Centre for Atmospheric Research, managed to make an estimate by calculating the average volume and density of a cloud – a typical cumulus cloud has a volume of around 1km³ and a density of around 0.5g/m³, coming up to about 499 metric tonnes of water.

Of course, depending on the type of cloud, the volume and density will change, making them lighter or heavier.

So if a cloud is so heavy, what keeps it afloat? It’s the fact that the air surrounding a cloud is cooler and has a higher density than the water droplets that comprise a cloud.

The lower density (and lighter weight) of the cloud allows it to float above us. A "cloud with a silver lining" indeed!

References:

1. https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/how-much-does-a-cloud-weigh

2. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/49786/how-much-does-cloud-weigh

3. https://www.sciencealert.com/this-is-how-much-a-cloud-weighs

4. https://weatherworksinc.com/news/how-much-does-a-cloud-weigh

5. https://www.livescience.com/how-much-does-a-cloud-weigh