Nature weird weather query

weird weather query · 07:13 PM

Can anyone comment on what is happening to the sky in these photos? Apparently my meteorology courses in University are too distant in the past. 8(

There was no wind at ground level at the time, and it had been a fairly warm day at ~25C with middling humidity. These were taken from my balcony in Tokyo, which is situated near the sea. It was about two hours after sunset.

pingflood · 09-25-2009, 07:21 PM

Altocumulus clouds?

**blackcloudbrew** · 09-25-2009, 09:34 PM

Might be alto q but its a thin layer and looks lower so it might be stratocumulus. It's very hard to say with the angle and lighting. I just took a look at the western pacific image, if this was a recent image looks like it was some upper level something or the remanats of something.

adamkean · 09-25-2009, 09:37 PM

my pilot brother in law thinks it is stratocumulus

uccemebug · 09-25-2009, 09:56 PM

Thanks for the responses. I was wondering if it was the result of an inversion or something of the sort. It seems to me that the clouds are forming under a second distinct layer of air but I don't see any signs of shear at all. Like I say, all was calm.

**monochrome** · 09-25-2009, 10:43 PM

This is a mammatus cloud formation infrequently visible on the base of an anvil cloud (cumulonimbus mammatus). Very cool formation and nice photo; usually associated with a very sever thunderstorm.

See Wiki Here

uccemebug · 09-26-2009, 02:01 AM

Originally posted by monochrome

This is a mammatus cloud formation infrequently visible on the base of an anvil cloud (cumulonimbus mammatus). Very cool formation and nice photo; usually associated with a very sever thunderstorm.

See Wiki Here

Thanks, monochrome! Man those are nice photos.

I thought of mammatus when I saw the pattern, but these didn't have anything above them. I realize that that doesn't come across terribly well in these pics. Maybe this one shows it better?

Sorry 'bout the noisy image, my *istDS doesn't like these longish exposures.

and · 09-26-2009, 02:46 AM

looks very interesting, almost like flames creaping along the top of a ceiling if you had colored them red

daacon · 09-26-2009, 07:33 AM

Very cool add in a sunrise or sunset in the clouds and then you got something really special.

uccemebug · 10-05-2009, 03:50 PM

I sent off a query to a meteorologist, who said:

"The over exposure/city lights is making my identity a little difficult, but from your location near the coast, I am assuming they are strato-cumulus clouds generated by the difference in the land/ocean temperatures. The cooler ocean air was pushed under the rather warm inland air, thereby lifting the airmass and creating the clouds. Also, it looks like the airmass over land was somewhat stable and that is what caused the scalloped look on the bottom of the cloud deck. On several occasions I have seen a stable airmass is forced upward, which results in this scalloped look or even wavy looking cloud bases.

It's not mammatus (higher than 20,000 feet) or alto-cumulus (higher than 7,000 feet) since the city lights would not illuminate them that much.

I hope this helps,

Regards,

Michael Eckert"

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09-25-2009, 10:43 PM	#6
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Cumulonimbus Mammatus This is a mammatus cloud formation infrequently visible on the base of an anvil cloud (cumulonimbus mammatus). Very cool formation and nice photo; usually associated with a very sever thunderstorm. See Wiki Here

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09-25-2009, 07:21 PM	#2
pingflood Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Borås, Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,169	Altocumulus clouds?

09-25-2009, 09:34 PM	#3
blackcloudbrew Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Cotati, California USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,460	Might be alto q but its a thin layer and looks lower so it might be stratocumulus. It's very hard to say with the angle and lighting. I just took a look at the western pacific image, if this was a recent image looks like it was some upper level something or the remanats of something.

09-25-2009, 09:37 PM	#4
adamkean Marketplace Reseller Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 223	my pilot brother in law thinks it is stratocumulus

09-25-2009, 09:56 PM	#5
uccemebug Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Tokyo Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 962 Original Poster	Thanks for the responses. I was wondering if it was the result of an inversion or something of the sort. It seems to me that the clouds are forming under a second distinct layer of air but I don't see any signs of shear at all. Like I say, all was calm.

09-26-2009, 02:01 AM	#7
uccemebug Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Tokyo Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 962 Original Poster	Originally posted by monochrome This is a mammatus cloud formation infrequently visible on the base of an anvil cloud (cumulonimbus mammatus). Very cool formation and nice photo; usually associated with a very sever thunderstorm. See Wiki Here Thanks, monochrome! Man those are nice photos. I thought of mammatus when I saw the pattern, but these didn't have anything above them. I realize that that doesn't come across terribly well in these pics. Maybe this one shows it better? Sorry 'bout the noisy image, my *istDS doesn't like these longish exposures.

09-26-2009, 02:46 AM	#8
and Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,476	looks very interesting, almost like flames creaping along the top of a ceiling if you had colored them red

09-26-2009, 07:33 AM	#9
daacon Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Alberta,Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 20,914	Very cool add in a sunrise or sunset in the clouds and then you got something really special.

10-05-2009, 03:50 PM	#10
uccemebug Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Tokyo Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 962 Original Poster	I sent off a query to a meteorologist, who said: "The over exposure/city lights is making my identity a little difficult, but from your location near the coast, I am assuming they are strato-cumulus clouds generated by the difference in the land/ocean temperatures. The cooler ocean air was pushed under the rather warm inland air, thereby lifting the airmass and creating the clouds. Also, it looks like the airmass over land was somewhat stable and that is what caused the scalloped look on the bottom of the cloud deck. On several occasions I have seen a stable airmass is forced upward, which results in this scalloped look or even wavy looking cloud bases. It's not mammatus (higher than 20,000 feet) or alto-cumulus (higher than 7,000 feet) since the city lights would not illuminate them that much. I hope this helps, Regards, Michael Eckert"