the helvetica scenario

Virga

Since I’m currently reading about atmospheric circulations and how eddies are formed, I thought I’d share a picture of billow clouds with you guys. Unfortunately, I can’t say I’ve ever seen these in real life, but they are quite beautiful. (This photo is from WebEcoist, where there’s also an article attached.)

An “eddy” is basically just a whirl of air. When an eddy forms on the downwind side of a mountain in an area where wind shear is present (wind shear is when the wind suddenly changes direction or speed), these billow clouds can form. These clouds are the visual that means Kelvin Helmhotlz waves are present. 

Expectation:

Reality:

isolated rain shower

From National Geographic Photo Of The Day; February 21, 2014:

Storm Watch Saranya Chalermchai, National Geographic Your Shot

Hoping to capture some lightning pictures, Your Shot contributor Saranya Chalermchai sat with camera in hand on the 21st floor of a building as a storm passed over Bangkok. “At one point, I saw a little light coming from the clouds, and at that exact moment I pressed the shutter,” she says. “The little [bit of] lightning had already expanded, giving me this amazing shot.”