Parallel lines of cumulus clouds stream over the Labrador Sea in this satellite image. These cloud streets are formed when cold, dry winds blow across comparatively warm waters. As the Keep reading
Tag: temperature inversion
Sunrise Cloudscape
With the low sun angle of dawn, the details of this cloudscape stand out. Captured by an external camera on the International Space Station, this image shows cloud formations over Keep reading
Bullseye
The Cumbre Vieja volcano in the Canary Islands began erupting in mid-September 2021. This satellite image, captured October 1st, shows a peculiar bullseye-like cloud over the volcano. Hot water vapor Keep reading
Superior Mirage
This photograph of a ship seemingly floating far above the water is not some Photoshop fakery; it’s physics creating the illusion. It’s an example of what’s known as a superior Keep reading
The Great Smog of London
Our atmosphere is active and ever-changing – except when it isn’t. Some areas, including many cities, are prone to what’s known as a temperature inversion, where a layer of cooler Keep reading
The Foggy Grand Canyon
On occasion in the late fall and early winter, the Grand Canyon can fill with clouds of fog. This occurs when a layer of warm air traps cold, moist air Keep reading
Foggy Canyon
Timelapse photography reveals the tide-like motions of fog that filled the Grand Canyon last week. This unusual meteorological condition was created by a temperature inversion. Usually air near the ground Keep reading
Cloud Streets
Cloud streets–long rows of counter-rotating air parallel to the ground in the planetary boundary layer–are thought to form as a result of cold air blowing over warm waters while caught Keep reading