Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Tsunami Wave Clouds Over Birmingham, Alabama - December 16, 2011




"The breaking waveforms of 'Kelv-Helmz' (as they aren't known) are the result of shearing winds up at cloud level. A particular type of turbulence can develop in a layer of Cirrus cloud, which happens to form below an inversion* between air currents of differing speeds and/or directions. Sea waves break as their bases are slowed down upon reaching shallow water and their crests surge ahead. Cloud waves break in the same way: when their crests are pushed ahead of their troughs by the difference in air currents."





No comments: