Morning Glory Clouds

Discussion in 'Earth Science' started by Hercules Rockefeller, Aug 25, 2009.

  1. Hercules Rockefeller Beatings will continue until morale improves. Moderator

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    I've never seen anything like this before (either as a photograph or the real thing) so I thought I would share......

    Morning Glory Clouds Over Australia (Astronomy Picture of the Day)

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    Perhaps people could post links to other interesting and amazing cloud formations.
     
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  3. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

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    Wow, it looks like a jet trail. How rare is it?

    I thought this was cool, but it doesn't really count as clouds, does it.

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  5. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Awesome and kind of weird looking clouds Herc!


    Orly, is that steam ?
     
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  7. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

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    Yeah, I think those are chimney's poking through the clouds.
    I've never seen clouds like this either

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  8. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Oh right. I thought it was water.. lol

    Really? We get them all the time here.
     
  9. takethewarhome midnatt klarhet Registered Senior Member

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    Morning glory clouds? Is that real? If so, how incredible!
     
  10. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

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    yeah, I was wondering, when the wind blows does it push them across the sky or do they roll?
     
  11. takethewarhome midnatt klarhet Registered Senior Member

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    I think I'm going to do some research on this when I get to school today.
     
  12. one_raven God is a Chinese Whisper Valued Senior Member

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    Amazing.

    Maybe they are bar-coded messages made with a weather machine by the illuminati to communicate with aliens. (I figure this is Sciforums, SOMEONE was eventually bound to say it, so I beat them to the punch.)
     
  13. Billy T Use Sugar Cane Alcohol car Fuel Valued Senior Member

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    Long linear clouds on the lea side of a mountain ridge are not rare. A relatively steady wind over the ridge line will drive a vertical oscillation that usually damps out after a few dozen or so cycles. The air lifted up in the peak of the the oscillation, if moist, will cool below the due point, form a linear cloud. The condensation releases heat which lifts that part of the air steam even higher and condense more water vapor. It cools (and is part of the vertical oscillation so will sink back down), and be heated as it compresses, but the heat transfer to the water dropplets of the cloud takes time.

    If you live on the East side of a significant mountain ridge chain and are attentive and understand what you are seeing you should be able to see this happen several times each year. (I did when living in Maryland.) However, such well localized "lea clouds" as the photo in the OP are rare.

    I suspect those linear clouds were on the down wind side of a mountain ridge which had colder air flowing over it (sinks and "over shoots" in the down half cylce of the oscillation). Then half cycle later the internal heat release was barely achieved to make realatively narrow ribbon of cloud rise higher - not a sign wave but with accentauated narrow peaks of condensation seen in the OP photo. The post 5 photo is much more typical.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 9, 2009
  14. ScaryMonster I’m the whispered word. Valued Senior Member

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    And This:

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    I don’t know what sort the first clouds are but the 2nd ones are Lenticular clouds, the are often reported as UFO’s by pilots.
     
  15. Billy T Use Sugar Cane Alcohol car Fuel Valued Senior Member

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    Are Lenticular clouds usually associate with gaps in a mountain range, where vorticies might spill off? It sort of looks like that in your photo 2. If that is true then they probably have a lot in common with mechanism I discussed in the prior post.

    I should have noted there that thunder head clouds exhibit the same "condensation instability" - i.e. they rise higher as they internally warm when water vapor in them condenses. The rise expands and cools them, condensing more water, etc. and they are warmer than the air they pentrate so process continues even getting heat form the formation of ice which falls as hale. - They are an example of the "Taylor instablility." (the falling gulf stream in the N. Atlantic is too.)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 9, 2009
  16. takethewarhome midnatt klarhet Registered Senior Member

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    These clouds are so cool.

    I just wonder why they never mentioned these in school when we were studying weather and the atmosphere...
     
  17. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

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    seriously?! pilots confuse a could for a UFO??? PILOTS!!!??
     
  18. ScaryMonster I’m the whispered word. Valued Senior Member

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    Well some of them look more UFO like then others:

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    I think this picture looks amazing:

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  19. kurros Registered Senior Member

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    Not exactly your regular cloud, but I couldn't resist:

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    Chaiten volcano, Chile.
     
  20. Nesm Registered Senior Member

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    A few days old, but a nice post on Wired.com with some interesting cloud formations. I quite like the curly ones...like when you're learning to write cursive as a kid and you draw those repetative patterns.
    http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/09/clouds/
     
  21. Billy T Use Sugar Cane Alcohol car Fuel Valued Senior Member

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    Thanks for the link, but their description of the physics is less complete than mine in post 10. - For example, I explain how the Taylor instability makes the width of the cloud line less than space between linear clouds. Their oscillitory wave explanation is only part of the story. - It neglects that "sharpening" of the cloud lines, but they do not say anything actually wrong.
     
  22. ScaryMonster I’m the whispered word. Valued Senior Member

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    Morning glory cloud sucking mist up.

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    Multiple Water Spouts

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    God Bunny
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2009
  23. takethewarhome midnatt klarhet Registered Senior Member

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    These clouds are crazy. I have a new fascination... cloud formations. I've been googling pictures of them for days now.
     

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