Oblaci

Oblaci are visible masses of condensed water droplets or ice crystals suspended in Earth's atmosphere. They form when moist air rises, expands and cools to the point where water vapor condenses onto nuclei such as dust or salt particles. Depending on temperature, clouds may consist of liquid droplets, ice crystals, or a mixture of both. Oblaci play a key role in the atmosphere by redistributing heat and moisture.

Clouds are commonly classified by altitude and appearance. By altitude, they are low clouds (up to about 2 km), middle clouds (2 to 6 km), and high clouds (above 6 km). Well-known types include cirrus (thin, wispy ice clouds high in the sky), cumulus (puffy and vertically growing), and stratus (layered sheets). More complex formations include cumulonimbus (towering storms), nimbostratus (rain-bearing), altocumulus, cirrostratus, cirrocumulus, and stratocumulus. The same cloud type can look different under varying humidity, temperature, and wind conditions aloft.

Oblaci influence weather and climate. They reflect and scatter incoming solar radiation, trap outgoing infrared radiation, and thus affect the Earth's energy balance. Clouds are central to the water cycle, producing precipitation when droplets or ice crystals coalesce and grow large enough. They also affect weather forecasts and climate models, as their formation depends on convection, humidity, lifting mechanisms, and atmospheric stability.

In everyday language and science, oblaci are observed for weather prediction, sky observations, and atmospheric studies. Satellite imagery and radar are commonly used to map cloud cover and track developments. The term oblaci is used in several South Slavic languages to mean clouds.