1. Paintings are common enough that there is a name for the artists’ works – cloudscapes.
2. There are a tremendous number of names and classifications. Many of these can occur together in the same stretch of sky.
3. Irisation is a type of rainbow affect from the sun named after Iris, Greek goddess of rainbows.
5. Morning Glory clouds are rare most places except for the southern part of Northern Australia’s Gulf of Carpentaria. Glider plane pilots are actually attracted to the location to “surf” these cylindrical clouds. Here’s an image of several:
6. A cloud field is the name for a group of them but these can also have their own classification.
7. Cloud Feedback is the name for the interaction between the cloud cover and ground surface air temperatures. The temperature can alter the cloud formations which in turn can change the temperature.
8. Pilots should know the names of clouds and how they pertain to the weather. A friend of mine could always identify them from his private piloting days. It’s a fond memory of him now that he’s passed away.
9. Earth is not alone in having clouds. Any moon or planet with an atmosphere can have them.
10. Liquid methane is thought to make up the clouds of Titan, Saturn’s moon.
11. Fog can be a result of the lowest clouds, called stratus, contacting the ground.
12. Most clouds form in that part of the atmosphere called the troposphere. A few occur as high as the stratosphere and beyond that middle layer to the mesosphere.
13. Iridescence is an uncommon phenomenon caused by uniform water droplets caught by the light of the sun or moon. Here’s a picture:
Wow! Interesting. This makes clouds so much more than just dreary things blocking the sun. Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteThose Morning Glory clouds are pretty cool looking.
ReplyDeleteThose Morning Glory Clouds are natural? Bizarre.
ReplyDeleteReally interesting. I learned a little bit more about clouds. Cool. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting, and I learned a few things. Thanks for poking my brain cells this morning.
ReplyDeleteThose are some really cool facts! I used to love cloud-watching when I was a little girl. :) Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteReally interesting stuff there! And that last photo is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing these.
ReplyDeleteBuon Natale!
Very cool! Clouds are so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
*hugs*
Paige
My TT is at http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com
Wow those are amazing...LEarned a few new things..Thank you
ReplyDeleteIt's so funny that you posted this. One of my first values that I defined way back in the dark ages, almost 20 years ago now, when I first started using the Franklin Planner is "I watch clouds." :) I didn't know there are others out there who do, too!
ReplyDeleteThank you for a fun and thought-provoking TT!
Clouds are lovely and everyone should learn to read them. Weather patterns shouldn't be mysterious, or the sole venue of tv weather people, eh?
ReplyDeleteI love the sky, including clouds. There were some neat ones last night (just basic clouds, probably--nothing special), but still cool. :)
ReplyDeleteThose Morning Glory ones are some I'd love to see, though!
Great list!
Interesting post! Clouds make the sunsets spectacular around where we live.
ReplyDeleteYou have profiled some fantastic photo shots in this post.
ReplyDeleteBoth my husband and I, love to watch clouds.
He always tries to convince me of some fantastic shape or another, that he claims to see, whilst I am just amazed at the speed with which some of them cross the sky before disappearing.
It's really just the peace and solitude that you can feel, from watching something which is so free and unemcumbered.
You mentioned the 'Cloud Appreciation Society', but there is also a fantastic book, written by it's founder Gavin Pretor-Pinney, who lives close by to us, in Somerset UK
http://www.fiction-books.biz/my-latest-news-and-musings/words-for-wednesday-november-17th-2010/
Yvonne