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Wednesday, June 24

A NEW TYPE OF CLOUD?

Written by Brian Neudorff:

The choppy ominous looking cloud picture was taken by Jane Wiggins from Cedar Rapids, and it could be the first new type of cloud to be recognized since 1951. At least Gavin Pretor-Pinney, founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society, hopes so.

In a story I found last week on National Geographic website, Prestor-Pinney notes that he began to receive picture of these kind of clouds back in 2005 and didn't know how to classify them.

He is preparing to propose these unusual cloud formations, he calls "Jacques Cousteau cloud," because of their rolling look from below, as a new cloud type to the UN's World Meteorological Organization, which classifies cloud types.

I have also seen clouds like this before, not sure if these are a new type of cloud. It looks like stratus cloud that has been influenced by turbulence or other type of air circulation. What do you think?

2 comments:

  1. Comment on 'new type of cloud':
    I do agree with Mr. Prestor-Pinney's NAME for this unique combination of water vapor, and environmental conditions, DOES seem appropriate. The picture you sent, DOES remind me, of pictures we see taken underwater--looking up at the surface. Thus the name DOES seem appropriate!
    Perhaps people who really take the study of clouds very seriously, see 'art' in what they see, far more 'advanced' than most of us do. Thus, we can only stand to benefit by listening and learning from these 'students' of this science.
    Thanks for asking, for our opinion! -- that is my 2 cents!
    Sincerely, Mack Baxter

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  2. i agree it looks more like a stratus or perhaps those clouds that are in thunderstorms towards the end that look like boiling water but considering it's in the mountainsthere could be all kinds of mitigating factors- not the least of which being the crazy winds that mountains seem to create.
    if nothing else- it's nice to hear about something other than the crazy weather we get from being trapped between the jet stream and the lake! lol

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