A Collection Of Weird Cloud Formations

Saturday, September 15, 2012 7:05

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: Cirrus clouds are generally characterised by thin, wispy strands, giving them their name from the Latin word ‘cirrus’, which mean a ringlet or curling lock of hair. Cirrus clouds generally appear white or light grey in colour. They form when water vapour undergoes deposition at altitudes above 5,000m (16,500 ft) in temperate regions and above 6,100m (20,000 ft) in tropical regions. They often arrive in advance of bad weather systems or tropical cyclones and so often indicate that the weather conditions may soon deteriorate. Picture: Science Photo Library / Rex Features

: A skier looks at a lenticular cloud, Mauna Kea, Hawaii, US. Lenticular clouds are popular with UFO believers because they often look like flying saucers. The lens-shaped clouds form at high altitude and are usually formed when moist air passes over a mountain range and is heated adiabatically (that is, without any transference of heat energy) as it descends. The cloud pattern depends upon the wind speed and the shape of the mountains. A constant wind may produce clouds which are stable and remain virtually stationary in the sky for long periods. Picture: Science Photo Library / Rex Features

: Cumulonimbus cloud over western Africa near the Senegal-Mali border. Cumulonimbus clouds rise vertically until they hit a natural barrier, known as the tropopause, and then flatten out. Cumulonimbus clouds usually herald the onset of a severe storm. In this image, which was taken from the International Space Station (ISS), several cumulonimbus towers are seen underneath the main cloud, casting a large shadow on the land below. Picture: Science Photo Library / Rex Features

: Mammatus clouds over northeast South Dakota, . US. Mammatus, also known as mammatocumulus (meaning “mammary cloud” or “breast cloud”), is a meteorological term applied to a cellular pattern of pouches hanging underneath the base of a cloud. They can produce some dramatic and unusual patterns on the sky and are also associated with severe storms. Picture: Science Photo Library / Rex Features; Read more here:

Neat clouds. -Mort

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