While we do love to explore the expanse of space, we equally enjoy exploring our own planet. There are many mysteries and beautiful phenomena that we love to learn about and visualize. Below are some of our favorite cloud formations on Earth. What are your favorites!?
1) Lenticular Clouds
While they typically form high in the atmosphere, these clouds typically form over man-made buildings and bridges, or natural hills or mountains. The odd shape is caused by disrupted airflow over the protrusion, and it has caused many people to mislabel these clouds as UFO's!
Lenticular clouds above the peak of Mt. Everest.
Lenticular clouds over Torres Del Paine National Park in Chile.
2) Mammatus Clouds
These types of clouds are typically associated with severe thunderstorms and extreme weather. Even though the icy composition looks dangerous, they are actually just an ancillary component of the extreme weather and don't actually contribute to any extreme environments. (The below image is actually of a canvas print of a photograph of mammatus clouds).
More mammatus clouds after a storm in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada in 2012.
3) Noctilucent Clouds
These types of clouds are comprised of ice crystals hanging around 50 miles high in the atmosphere that catch the light of the sun long after it has set on the horizon. Since noctilucent clouds require water vapor dust, and very cold temperatures to form, rocket launches provide a perfect breeding ground for these types of clouds. 20-30 minutes after most of the Space Shuttle launches, residents in florida would spot these types of clouds above the launch site. They can also form naturally when there are strong winds or changing weather.
4) Cirrus Kelvin-Helmholtz Clouds
These clouds typically form on windy days, when there is a large difference in densities of the air, for example during a temperature inversion. Aircraft pilots typically use these clouds to determine when they are flying into significant turbulence.
5) Roll Clouds
Roll clouds aka Arcus Clouds are low, horizontal cloud formations that look like shelves from the side. They are typically associated with the leading edge of thunderstorm events.
This roll cloud was captured right from Las Olas Beach in Maldonado, Uruguay as weather was rolling in to the beach city.
6) Undulatus Asperatus Clouds
These are very unusual clouds, and were just recently classified as a new type of cloud. They typically form in the 'Plains' states in the US before a thunderstorm.
7) Smoke Ring
These smoke rings are frequently blown from natural steam vents. The rings generally form when a pulse of steam is ejected from a volcanic vent. This one in particular is from the Bocca Nuova vent of Mount Etna, Cicily.
8) Shelf Cloud
These massive clouds typically lead or follow large thunderstorms. They look incredibly menacing from the ground.
9) Supercell Clouds
These supercell clouds formed during a massive thunderstorm in Nebraska.
Pat Kavanagh
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