Altostratus undulatus cloud

Altostratus undulatus cloud

Cirrus and Altostratus undulatus clouds
Abbreviation As
Genus Alto- (high), -stratus (layered)
Species undulatus (waves)
Altitude 2400-6100 m
(8,000-20,000 ft)
Classification Family B (Medium-level)
Appearance Wavy, like ripples in a pond
Precipitation cloud? Usually no

The altostratus undulatus is a type of altostratus cloud with signature undulations within it. These undulations may be visible (usually as "wavy bases"), but frequently they are indiscernible to the naked eye. These formations will generally appear in the early stages of destabilizing return flows, especially over the southern plains of the United States, when the surface temperature is still relatively cool.[1] The wavy strips of clouds are generally near an inversion surface.

Also referred to as billow clouds, wind row clouds, or wave clouds, variations of the undulatus can be elements that have merged or single elements that have stretched through the sky. They often run parallel, but can also appear to interweave across the sky, especially if dual wave systems are seen (also referred to as biundulatus). Gravity waves aligned normally to the direction of the wind can show wide, near-parallel cloud strips.[2]

Undulated cloud in Christchurch, New Zealand.

See also

References

  1. "Altostratus Undulatus". Stormeyes.org. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-15.
  2. "AMS Glossary". Amsglossary.allenpress.com. Retrieved 2008-10-15.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/8/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.