Today (March 23) is the "World Meteorological Day", on this meteorological anniversary, the author has selected some strangely shaped clouds, let's take a "look at the clouds to speak", popularize the meteorological knowledge about clouds.
At present, the International Cloud Atlas divides clouds into ten basic types according to their position and approximate shape in the sky.
In terms of height, it can be divided into three classifications: low cloud, medium cloud, and high cloud.
Low clouds: Cumulus, Stratus, Stratocumulus.
Medium clouds: Altocumulus, altospheric clouds, rain stratus clouds.
High clouds: Cirrus, Cirrocumulus, Cirrus.
Cumulonimbus clouds (low, medium, and high clouds).
From the appearance, you can remember the words "product", "layer", "roll", and "rain".
"Accumulation": Clouds that pile up like cotton.
"Layer": The sky is covered like a layer of gray sand.
"Roll": A cloud like a wisp of curled hair.
"Rain": Clouds that bring rain.
Have you ever seen these strangely shaped clouds? The weather they represent is easy to misunderstand in laymen, but pay attention to it!
Myth 1: Seismic clouds?
(Cortocumulus corrugatum over Jiangxi in 2016)
Have you heard the legend of the seismic cloud? It is said that some arrangement of clouds is a precursor to earthquakes. For example, the picture above.
Solution: In fact, in both meteorology and geology, it is generally believed that earthquakes have no connection with clouds. The "seismic clouds" you see actually have their own more reliable names, indicating not an earthquake, but some kind of weather.
Cortocumulus corrugatarium are thick, wavy strips of clouds of lower height, usually appearing before the passage of strong cold air, indicating that the weather will change greatly. In fact, this is called "rib cloud", which is not only very graphic, but also looks delicious.
Myth 2: Doomsday clouds?
(Siberian anvilous cumulonimbus clouds)
Many friends have seen the scene of the atomic bomb explosion in the movie, and the resulting mushroom cloud always brings people the panic of the end. A huge "mushroom cloud" once appeared over the Siberian industrial city of Kemerovo, shaped like an atomic bomb, which frightened the local residents.
Solution: In nature, there are also some clouds that are born more vicious, but they have nothing to do with nuclear explosions. In fact, this is just a strangely shaped anvilous Cumulonimbus cloud, usually formed by thunderstorms pushing clouds higher into the atmosphere.
Myth 3: Aliens are coming?
(Pod-shaped clouds of Mount Fuji, Japan)
Is this an alien UFO (UFO), or is the mountain wearing a white hat?
Solution: This is a deformation of pod-like clouds (mainly pod-like altocumulus clouds), a peculiar cloud species that may form when the pod-like clouds are located directly above the summit of a high mountain.
Myth #4: Marshmallow Cloud?
(Milky cloud)
In addition to the frightening misunderstandings above, there are beautiful misconceptions about clouds, especially in the eyes of foodies. Looking at this cloud, like marshmallows, and like milk that is about to drip, people can't help but bite with their mouths open.
Solution: This is a milky cloud formed beneath a Cumulonimbus cloud, formed when the cooler air in the downdraft meets the warmer air in the updraft. However, it just looks beautiful, but it actually indicates that there may be storms or other bad weather in the future.
Myth 5: Marrying the clouds?
(Rainbow clouds photographed in Singapore)
In "Journey to the West", Zixia Fairy said: My crush is a hero of the world, and one day he will step on the seven-colored clouds to marry me.
Therefore, when a rare "colorful auspicious cloud" appeared over Singapore, netizens exclaimed that the seven-colored cloud appeared, and the sweetheart wanted to marry himself!
Solution: Haha, this is just an iridescent cloud, which is formed by the diffraction of light through the ice crystals in the cloud (usually a translucent high cumulus).
The formation of rainbow clouds depends not only on the size of the droplets in the translucent upper clouds, but also on the "fat and thin" of the clouds. Only when encountering a thin cloud of "thinness" and the droplets in the cloud are small and uniform, when the cloud just floats at the right angle, a brilliant rainbow will appear.
Therefore, although the intended person will not appear in the colorful auspicious cloud, you who can see the rainbow cloud are indeed very lucky.
Interesting, right? Meteorology is a very interesting science, not only closely related to our lives, but also a lot of interesting images and stories. Take the time to look at some meteorological knowledge, enrich your own knowledge base, and enrich your own life experience.
(Produced by One Point "Festival Research", Qilu Evening News - Qilu One Point Reporter Zhai Hengshui, Reference: "International Cloud Atlas", picture from the network)
The content of this article is published by the author of One Point and does not represent the position of Qilu One Point.