xineann's favorite meteorology pages, page 1

Online nowXineann: XineAnn is a person in a relationship from North By Northwest, Alaska, USA.; Likes 15,822 pages, 251 videos, 2,885 photos • 2,334 fans • Received 503 reviews; Member since Jul 09, 2007

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The noctilucent clouds are coming: Jul 2, 7:14am 1 review astronomy, meteorology, weather
http://www.pixheaven.net/photo_us?nom=080630_8409-13

The Cloud Appreciation Society: Jul 2, 7:11am 0 review meteorology, weather, cllouds
http://www.cloudappreciationsociety.org/gallery/index.php?showimage=4116

The Cloud Appreciation Society: Jul 2, 7:11am 0 review meteorology, weather, clouds
http://www.cloudappreciationsociety.org/gallery/index.php?showimage=4115

The Cloud Appreciation Society & The Summertime Halo (July 08)

Jul 2, 7:02am

3 reviews

science, meteorology, weather, clouds
http://www.cloudappreciationsociety.org/july-08/

July Cloud of the Month : The Arc of Many Names The summertime halo, the fire rainbow, the circumhorizon or the circumhorizontal arc... Whichever of its names you decide call it, this enormous, rare, pastel-coloured optical effect will only appear up in the sky when several different factors happen to occur at the same moment. First, there needs to be the right sort of cloud around, for this is one of the many halo phenomena that can only appear as the light shines through ice-crystal clouds, such as this fine Cirrus. The sun also has to be high in the sky (hence the summertime name); in fact, it needs to be at least 58° above the horizon (hence the horizon name).

In order to refract the high sunlight in the right way, the ice crystals that make up the Cirrus cloud must be shaped like microscopic hexagonal plates. They must also be aligned more or less horizontally (hence the horizontal name), for the colours are formed as light rays enter the clear crystals through a vertical side face and exit through their flat bases. So long as the crystals dont wobble too much in the wind, the 90˚ inclination of these two sides results in pure rainbow-like colours. When the crystal alignment is just right, the entire cirrus cloud shines like a flaming rainbow (hence the rainbow name, even though it is not, of course, a rainbow at all). While most halos can be observed over any parts of the planet, this one is generally found only in those countries that lie below 55° latitude. North and south of this, the sun never rises above 57.8° in the sky. (That said, you might still be able to see the summertime halo in higher-latitude countries so long as you manage to climb a high mountain just as all the other requirements happened to coincide.)

Lightning: Natures Own Electrifying Fireworks Display: Jun 27, 3:22pm 1 review environment, photography, meteorology, lightning
http://www.scienceray.com/Earth-Sciences/Lightning-Natures-Own-Electrifying-F...

SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, aur…: Jun 20, 6:36pm 184 reviews astronomy, meteorology
http://www.spaceweather.com/

The Cloud Appreciation Society & Microbursts (May 08): May 8, 8:46pm 1 review nature, science, meteorology, clouds
http://www.cloudappreciationsociety.org/may-08/; Cloud of the Month for May About this Cloud: Cumulonimbus It is the beast of the lower atmosphere: roaring with deafening thunder; spitting shards of lightning and hailstones; whipping up twisting tornadoes and spawning dramatic cloud features, such as the udder-shaped mammatus clouds, cigar-shaped roll clouds and, well, wall-shaped wall clouds. Sometimes, the Cumulonimbus also produces something called a `microburst', which is best thought of as a cloud sneeze. Don't be deceived by the `micro' part: the sneeze of a Cumulonimbus is anything but restrained. A microburst is a very localized column of air - up to 2.5 miles (4km) across - which shoots earthwards from the base of the cloud, spreading outwards with violent force upon reaching the ground. With gusting speeds of up to 150 mph, these winds can damage buildings, fell trees, and have been known to cause aviation crashes. Much like human sneezes, microbursts can be either dry or wet. They do however last rather longer than ours: between 5 and 15 minutes. Along with chilly winds, the wet varieties produce sudden downpours. These can be quite heavy: enough to give you a cold, should you be in the firing line without the right clothing.