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View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Lori Mendez in Saint Helena, California, captured these Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds on November 13, 2023. Lori wrote: “All the time lovely sunsets from my work view. Leaving work tonight, everybody was taking photos of those clouds. I’ve by no means seen clouds like this. I posted to Fb and somebody despatched your hyperlink saying what they’re referred to as.” Thanks, Lori!
Clouds that appear to be waves are uncommon and exquisite. These clouds – often called Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds, billow clouds, or shear-gravity clouds – might need been the inspiration for Van Gogh’s portray Starry Night. The subsequent time you notice one among these outstanding wave clouds, seize {a photograph} and submit it to us!
Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds are named for Lord Kelvin and Hermann von Helmholtz, who studied the physics of the instability that results in the sort of cloud formation. A Kelvin-Helmholtz instability kinds the place there’s a velocity distinction throughout the interface between two fluids: for instance, wind blowing over water.
The best way to see Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds
When would possibly you get to see these lovely clouds? Your odds are higher on windy days, when there’s a distinction in densities of the air – for instance, throughout a temperature inversion – when heat air flows over cooler air. You’re additionally extra prone to see these clouds close to dawn or sundown, one other time when the underside of the clouds are cooler and the air above is hotter. The clouds tackle this wave form when the air above is shifting extra shortly than the air under, pushing over the tops of the clouds and creating the rolling wave look. As you might need guessed, Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds are an indication that plane within the space will likely be experiencing turbulence.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | EarthSky’s personal Raul Cortes captured these Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds from an airplane close to Amsterdam on February 21, 2023. See the wave-shaped clouds above the hole? Thanks, Raul!
Wave clouds from the EarthSky group
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Karen Gord in Mosheim, Tennessee, captured these wave clouds on November 15, 2023. Karen wrote: “A frosty, crisp 29-degree morning. The clouds caught my consideration out the window. Stunning. By no means seen this earlier than.” Thanks, Karen!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Linda Okay. Tilley in Wyoming captured these Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds on November 11, 2023. Thanks, Linda!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Kevin Horath took this picture on October 12, 2023. Kevin wrote: “Whereas crusing off the coast of Maine, I noticed clouds that appeared like waves.” Thanks, Kevin!
Extra photographs of Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Early on the morning of Might 23, 2021, Angus Weller noticed these Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds over the Coastal Mountain Vary simply north of Vancouver, British Columbia. Angus mentioned: “It’s solely the 2nd time I’ve seen this cloud formation.” Thanks, Angus!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Michelle Berger in Sandpoint, Idaho, captured this picture of Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds on December 27, 2020. She wrote: “We have been driving house one night in December, 2 days after Christmas, and noticed this lovely picture within the sky east of our approach house.” Thanks, Michelle!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Suzanne Kelley of Littleton, Colorado, caught these Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds – clouds that appear to be ocean waves – at sundown over the Rocky Mountains on New 12 months’s Eve, December 31, 2019. Thanks, Suzanne!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Matty Hammersley within the UK wrote: “Taken by my spouse Ems while I used to be driving south on M5, south of Birmingham/Black Nation in direction of Worcestershire space.” The picture is from round sundown, on March 28, 2022. The clouds are often called Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds. Thanks, Matty!
Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds from 2 sides of Earth
These photographers each captured Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds on the identical day, from two sides of Earth.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tim Hunter in Waitara, Taranaki, New Zealand, captured this picture of wave clouds on October 6, 2021. He wrote: “Was chatting to my father on the telephone in my lounge, stood up from the sofa, appeared out the window and noticed 2 waves and extra forming. The formations lasted a couple of minute and a half earlier than fading away. It was a wonderful sight. One I’ll by no means get to witness once more.” Thanks, Tim!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Julie Hinder in Slapton, Devon, United Kingdom, captured this picture of wave clouds on October 6, 2021. Thanks, Julie!
Wave clouds on different planets
Earth isn’t the one planet with Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds. Right here they’re on Saturn; Jupiter has them, too. Picture through Wikimedia Commons.
Backside line: Clouds that appear to be waves throughout the sky are often called Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds. These clouds type from winds shifting at two completely different speeds.
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