9 Extraordinary Clouds

[n2doc]

Fallstreak holes

These are crisp gaps in mid or high-level cloud layers, below which dangle trails of ice-crystals.

To form a fallstreak hole, the cloud layer must consist of supercooled droplets - that is, water is in liquid form - even though temperatures at cloud level are well below 0° celsius.



Roll cloud

This is a horizontal tube of cloud that forms in the cold downdraughts that spread out ahead of an approaching storm (or, less commonly, at the tail end of a decaying storm).

The rapidly sinking air mass can hit the surface so hard that it sends a wave of air gusting some distance away from the storm cloud itself.


more:

http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn17178-extraordinary-clouds/1

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. Wonderful stuff!

Just amazing.

Thank you ...................

[grannie4peace]

2. they are amazing:)-thanks

[liberal N proud]

3. Roll clouds can be very low to the ground

Many people confuse them with the wall cloud associated with tornados.

But watching a roll cloud approach can give you an ominous feeling, waiting for something to happen. Most of the time there is a gust of wind and temperature change then calm.

[yowzayowzayowza]

8. A Merchant Marine friend got some pics in the mid 80s ...

of a roll cloud at sea. Horizon to horizon ... unnerving.

[havocmom]

4. Beautiful & educational! Thanks for posting the link

Great stuff!

[msedano]

5. thanks for this link

Wordsworth:

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/i-wandered-lonely-as-a-cloud/

mvs

[FSogol]

6. Cool. Thanks. n/t

[roguevalley]

7. dayammmm. what great photos. thank you so much.

[Canuckistanian]

9. Cool! But they should have shown the new "asperatus" clouds

I think they're bizarre and beautiful.

[dalaigh lllama]

10. Wow!

This whole thread. these cloud formations! Just...WOW!:wow:

[leveymg]

15. Looks like a NASA shot of the atmosphere of Jupiter - Amazing! Otherworldly!

:wow:

[applegrove]

11. Freaky.

[Bushknew]

12. ???

[Nihil]

13. Brilliant! Thanks for posting!

That first one (fall-streak holes) reminds me of the dirigible
in Aeon Flux!
:wow:

[Martin Eden]

14. WAY COOL, THANKS! n/t

[leveymg]

16. More! Those photos are utterly amazingly beautiful/thank you!