Siyaqhubeka nokuphononongwa kweentlobo ezahlukeneyo zamafu adweliswe ngu Umbutho weMeteorological weHlabathi (WMO). Ngeli thuba siqala ukuhlalutya amafu aphakathi kwaye siza kuqala ngokuchaza iimpawu, imvelaphi kunye nezinye izinto ezibonisa umdla I-Altocumulus.
Olu hlobo lwelifu luchazwa njengebhanki, umaleko omxinwa okanye umaleko wamafu amhlophe okanye ngwevu, okanye omhlophe namhlophe, anezithunzi ezenziwe ziithayile, imixokelelwane erandiweyo, izileyi, njl.njl. isasazeka kwaye inokudibana okanye ingamanyani; uninzi lwee izinto ezincinci zisasazwe ngokulinganayo, zinobubanzi obubonakalayo phakathi kwe-1º kunye ne-5º.
Zihlala zenziwe ngamathontsi amanzi. Xa amaqondo obushushu esezantsi kakhulu, kubakho iikristali zomkhenkce. Imvelaphi yayo yayiya kuba yile ilandelayo, xa ubunzima bomoya obukhulu, butyhalwa yinkqubo engaphambili, bunyukela kumanqanaba aphakathi (4-6Km.) Kwaye emva koko iyadibana. Emva koko, la mafu ayenziwa izihlwele zomoya ezingazinzanga, ezibanika ukubonakala kwazo kwe-cumuliform. Zihlala ziyinxalenye yemida ebandayo kunye neendawo ezishushu. Kwimeko yokugqibela baxutywe kumaleko omnye neAltostratus, bahlala kwizongezo ezingamawaka eekhilomitha.
Malunga nokuba basinika imikhondo malunga nemozulu ezayo, kuyaziwa ukuba abo babodwa babonisa imozulu elungileyo. Kwelinye icala, ukuba zibonakala ngathi zonyukile okanye zixutywe neAltostratus zibonisa ukusondela ngaphambili okanye isaqhwithi. Kwezi meko banokunika imvula. Akufanele zibhidaniswe ne-Cirrocumulus, i-Altocumulus inkulu, okanye i-Stratocumulus, kuba i-Altocumulus incinci.
Ukufota la mafu kulungele ilayithi, njengakwifoto ephambili, babonisa inkangeleko eyoyikekayo. Ngeeyure zakusasa okanye emva kwemini iinkcukacha zayo ziyaxatyiswa. Ngelensi ye "Wide Angle" babanjwa kubo bonke ubukhulu babo. Ukutshona kwelanga, ajika abe bomvu ngokufutshane.
I-Altocumulos inokwenzeka kwi Iindidi ezi-4 (Stratiformis, Lenticularis, Castellanus kunye noFloccus) kunye Iindidi ezingama-7 (I-Translucidus, iPerlucidus, iOpacus, iDuplicatus, iUndulatus, iRadiatus, iLacunosus).
Umthombo: I-AEMET