Mesmerizing wave-like clouds
Jun. 19th, 2019 04:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
charisstomaMesmerizing wave-like clouds spotted over mountain in Virginia
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mesmerizing-wave-like-clouds-spotted-over-mountain-in-virginia/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab6a&linkId=69229142&fbclid=IwAR0G_bUnzBxFTqLZ0RKvVP_-L6c6OIXpGMF6w_9uqos80pao0HtJB-O3COg
They're Kelvin-Helmholtz waves, which usually form on windy days when there is a velocity difference across the interface between two fluids, such as wind blowing over water, according to EarthSky.org.
When there is a difference of air densities, and the upper air is moving at a higher speed, the clouds will whip up into wave-like shapes.
The waves are named after Lord Kelvin and Hermann von Helmholtz, who studied the physics behind this cloud formation. The presence of Kelvin-Helmholtz waves, could mean there is an atmospheric instability – which could mean turbulence for aircraft.
These odd clouds have been stopping people in their tracks for centuries – they are even believed to have inspired Van Gogh's "Starry Night," according to EarthSky.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mesmerizing-wave-like-clouds-spotted-over-mountain-in-virginia/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab6a&linkId=69229142&fbclid=IwAR0G_bUnzBxFTqLZ0RKvVP_-L6c6OIXpGMF6w_9uqos80pao0HtJB-O3COg
They're Kelvin-Helmholtz waves, which usually form on windy days when there is a velocity difference across the interface between two fluids, such as wind blowing over water, according to EarthSky.org.
When there is a difference of air densities, and the upper air is moving at a higher speed, the clouds will whip up into wave-like shapes.
The waves are named after Lord Kelvin and Hermann von Helmholtz, who studied the physics behind this cloud formation. The presence of Kelvin-Helmholtz waves, could mean there is an atmospheric instability – which could mean turbulence for aircraft.
These odd clouds have been stopping people in their tracks for centuries – they are even believed to have inspired Van Gogh's "Starry Night," according to EarthSky.
