Ohambweni lwethu lwezinhlobo ezahlukene zamafu, namuhla sigxile ku IStratus noma iStrata. Lawa mafu angeminye yemikhakha emibili ehlukaniswa njengamafu aphansi futhi ibonakala ngefomethi yawo enezingqimba, ngokuvamile empunga ngombala, nesisekelo esifanayo. Ukuconsa, ama-ice prism, noma ama-cinarra ajwayelekile ahlotshaniswa nalolu hlobo lwamafu. Lapho iLanga libonakala ngongqimba lwe-Stratus, uhlaka lwalo luyacaca futhi luhluke. Ngezikhathi ezithile, la mafu angase abonakale eyizicucu ezidabukile, ezaziwa ngokuthi i-Stratus fractus, ezingaphansi kwamanye amafu.
Amafu e-Stratus ngokuvamile atholakala endaweni ephakeme ukusuka ku-0 kuye ku-300 wamamitha ngaphezu kwezinga eliphansi. Akhiwa ikakhulukazi amaconsi amanzi amancane; Nokho, emazingeni okushisa aphansi, ukwakheka kwawo kungase kuhlanganise izinhlayiya zeqhwa ezincane. Inqubo yokwakhiwa kwe- Stratus ihlobene ne- kupholisa ezingqimbeni ezingezansi zomkhathi, kanye ne isiphithiphithi okubangelwa umoya. Lawa mafu ngokuvamile akha phezu komhlaba ngenxa yemisebe yasebusuku noma ukungenwa komoya ofudumele endaweni epholile. Ezindaweni zasolwandle, ukupholisa kwenzeka ngokusebenzisa i-advection.
Enye yezimfanelo eziphawulekayo zeStratus ukuthi, uma zisezingeni eliphansi, zingadala inkungu. I-Stratus fractus ikhula njengamafu esisekeli (eyaziwa nangokuthi i-pannus) evela ngaphansi kwezinye izinhlobo zamafu njenge I-Altostratus, I-Nimbostratus, i-Cumulonimbus namafu e-cumulus akhiqiza imvula. Ukuba khona kwenkungu kuvame ukuhlotshaniswa nezimo zezulu ze-anticyclonic. Ngokuphambene, lapho i-Stratus ivela ngezansi kwe-Altostratus noma i-Nimbostratus, ivamise ukuxhunyaniswa nengaphambili elifudumele. Ezimweni ezinezivunguvungu, zingatholakala zidatshulwe ngaphansi kwamafu e-Cumulonimbus, okubonisa ukusondela kwemvula.
Isici esibalulekile sokuhlukanisa i-Stratus kwamanye amafu afana ne-Altostratus noma i-Nimbostratus ukubukeka kwawo. Amafu e-Altostratus ne-Nimbostratus anokubonakala “okumanzi,” kuyilapho amafu e-Stratus evame ukubukeka “omile.” Kubalulekile ukugcizelela ukuthi imvula ekhiqizwa yi-Stratus ibuthakathaka kakhulu, kuyilapho ku-Nimbostratus kungalindelwa amandla abuthakathaka kakhulu. imvula emaphakathi, okwakha isici esiyinhloko sokukhonjwa kwayo.
Kulabo abathanda ukuthwebula izithombe, ukuthwebula izithombe ze-Stratus ngesikhathi sokwakheka kwenkungu kungakhanga kakhulu. Kunconywa ukuthi kufakwe izinto eziyisethenjwa, njengezihlahla, izakhiwo, noma ukuphakama endaweni, okusiza ukunikeza umongo obonakalayo ocebile. I-Stratus iyathakazelisa ikakhulukazi lapho yethulwa ngezansi kweNimbostratus, elidliwe yimvula noma iqhwa.
Ngaphakathi kokuhlukaniswa kwe-Stratus, izinhlobo ezimbili ziyaziwa: Nebulosus y I-Fractus. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinhlobo ezintathu zingabonakala: U-Opacus, I-Translucidus y Undulatus.
I-Stratus yaziwa ngamandla ayo okuthinta ukubonakala, ikakhulukazi ngaphansi kwezimo eziphezulu zokuminyana. Ngaphakathi kwefu, ukuminyana kungase kukhule kancane kancane, kuze kufike iphuzu nciphisa ukubonakala ku-zero ezindaweni ezithile. Ukushintshashintsha kokuminyana nokubonakala kungabonakala ngokuma uqonde futhi uvundlile. Izigigaba ezifana noqweqwe oluncane kuya kolumaphakathi kanye nesiyaluyalu kungase kwenzeke.
Uma i-Stratus ibhekwa ngaphansi, ngokuvamile ibonakala njenge ijazi elimpunga ngokuhlukahluka kokukhanya. Isisekelo singase sichazwe ngokucacile noma sisakazeke; ngezinye izikhathi libonakala lidabukile. Kusukela ngenhla, indawo engaphezulu ye-Stratus ingabonisa ama-ripples namaqhubu, ikakhulukazi emimoyeni enamandla, engagqamisa ukungalingani kwendawo engaphansi.
Kuyathakazelisa ukuqaphela ukuthi amafu e-Stratus awavamisile ukukhiqiza izenzakalo ze-halo, ngaphandle kwasezimweni zamazinga okushisa aphansi kakhulu. Lokhu kuyawahlukanisa kwezinye izinhlobo zamafu ezingakhiqiza lesi simo se-atmospheric optical. I Stratus Zimelela isenzakalo esithakazelisayo sezezulu, hhayi kuphela ngokomthelela wazo esimweni sezulu, kodwa futhi nekhono lazo lokuthonya ukubonakala nobuhle bendawo.
