Photos of stunning, rare cloud formation recently seen around the world

[Better Believe It]

The cloud with no name: Meteorologists campaign to classify unique 'Asperatus' clouds seen across the world
By Luke Salke
Daily Mail
June 2, 2009









http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1189877/The-cloud-Meteorologists-campaign-classify-unique-Asperatus-clouds-seen-world.html

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Discovered New Cloud Type—Undulus Asperatus

The Cloud Appreciation Society has designated the clouds as “Undulus Asperatus“. The Latin term translates loosely as “turbulent undulation.” Such clouds are relatively rare, but have been photographed in several areas around the world.

In the first new cloud type to be officially designated in over 50 years, members of the Cloud Appreciation Society are pushing for official recognition of the undulating, ominous-appearing clouds.

Jane Wiggins of Cedar Rapids, Iowa recently captured several spectacular images of the new cloud type as viewed from a downtown office building. Several of her images have recently been published by National Geographic Magazine - an honor which Wiggins does not take lightly.

http://www.kicksinfo.com/?p=15760

[Ikonoklast]

1. Seeing that would make me run to the basement.

[alfredo]

7. I remember seeing that formation while on the playground in elementary

school. We panicked and ran back into school.

[MazeRat7]

40. Dorthy, Antie M... where are you ? Yup, I'd grab all the pets and hunker down.. n/t

[JustJeking]

2. Holy crap - it's beautiful but

at the same time, just a little...frightening.

[Better Believe It]

I know. Sort of "War of the Worlds" type clouds. :)

But, I'd love to see them.

[Voice for Peace]

26. like asparagus

[msongs]

3. we've had clouds like that (the gray pics) here, but not extreme like orange pics nt

[SammyWinstonJack]

4. .

:hide:

[pleah]

5. Scary.

K&R

[SmileyRose]

6. It's odd this is suddenly a big deal

I've seen this more than once in my 50 years. Those pictures are uniquely effective because the time of day and the angle of the sun.

Great pics.

[Kittycat]

8. We get some really wild cloud formations here as well.

More along the lines of the second picture - though I've never been able to capture the detail with such dramatic effect on my camera. We've not had it yet this year, but have the last couple years. I have a few of the pictures up here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/teenibanini/sets/72157594496955034/

They often look like they're rolling and boiling in, and you can see them spin and almost appear to slow boil/bubble. Though I hadn't seen them until I moved up here, I grew up in the midwest (now in Chicago burbs) and the pictures were taken when tornado season usually approaches south of us.

[monmouth]

9. Perhaps the "Rapture" is coming.....n/t

[rhett o rick]

53. So should I bother to mow my lawn or no? nm

[jgraz]

10. Hmm... perhaps they should name them Baader-Meinhof clouds

http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=417

[fishwax]

11. looks like someone up there has commissioned Van Gogh to paint the skies

particularly the last one ...

[Kajsa]

12. Beautiful,stunning photos.

Yes, they are ominous, but very
beautiful.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

13. Second photo has been manipulated a bit ...

the original (not shot by Ken Stone, who must have bought the rights to the image from Jane Wiggins?) was menacing, but not as menacing as seen in the photo above.

See the original at:

http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090605/NEWS/706059952/0/FRONTPAGE

and

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/06/photogalleries/new-cloud-pictures/

[G_j]

16. interesting

the color and/or contrast has definitely been altered.
Still amazing though..
& the slide show is awesome!

[Poll_Blind]

21. Good catch. Almost looks like someone ran it through a HDR filter.

Instead of taking three originals for an HDR pic, if you take a single pic and create the other two needed for the HDR with filters, then run it through an HDR composititing program (if that is the best word for it), you get an effect like that. I could be wrong, it's been quite a while since I mucked with stuff like that.

Real HDR looks better, of course, and doesn't have any dark spots like that.

PB

[Stevenmarc]

14. Who doesn't love HDR

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

18. I don't and can't wait for it to go away

the sooner the better

[Stevenmarc]

50. It has it's place

In the instance of these photos it's all about the HDR, it's totally in your face, and that particular look is a trend that will fade like all trends do but the technology of HDR is here to stay.

I find it a valuable tool when you have a situation of very bright areas and very dark areas in the same shot and you can't set up a room load of professional lighting to compensate, HDR allows you to expose for the light and then expose for the darker regions and bring out detail that a single shot could never accomplish. If you don't overdo it in post it really wouldn't occur to the viewer that HDR was used at all. Instead of HDR going away I see it being more incorporated directly in camera, we have auto bracketing already, it isn't a large step to have the camera perform the combining of those shots.

[nashville_brook]

15. i took pics of clouds like this over nashville in 2001 -- they came after a rain

and made it seem like it was going to storm, but it never did. just socked us in under the blanket for another day. i remember it being unusually warm and humid for that time of year.

the nashville clouds most resembled the ones on the bottom. i was late for work, so it was like 9:10 in the morning. i remember b/c i thought it was stupid to stop and take pictures, being late for work -- but, hell, how often do you see cloud like that?

now, i have no f'n idea where those pics are.

[Xipe Totec]

17. That last one reminded me of Starry Night

[TahitiNut]

24. gmta

:rofl:

[glinda]

34. Excellent!!!!!!!!!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[TacticalPeek]

45. It reminded me of Scream.

Edvard Munch

[Xipe Totec]

56. My second thought as well

:thumbsup:

[Poll_Blind]

19. This here video on YouTube was titled "Gravity Wave" but it seems to have some...

...similarities- especially to the last pic. I don't know what the cause of the effect is, but it's interesting. It's time lapse and the rolling behavior of the clouds is really pronounced because of it:

Gravity Wave

Any thoughts? I don't know very much about meteorology, unfortunately. I'm dubious that gravity has anything to do with the clouds behaving like that. But, again, it's interesting.

PB

[SidDithers]

20. Very cool pictures...

thanks for posting.

How long before they're blamed on HAARP? :evilgrin:

Sid

[NYC_SKP]

22. My nephew said, "It Looks Like God is Angry."

I told him, "Maybe She is!"... :P

[TahitiNut]

23. It looks like Van Gogh discovered Photoshop.

:dunce:

[BobRossi]

25. Cumulus Photoshopus. nt

[bertman]

27. The cloud in the first photo should be named "Apocalypsus scareus".

[Better Believe It]

37. The Gods are angry. They need tribute. Perhaps a human sacrifice will work. Senator Grassley?

[asjr]

28. Just wait until someone spots

the virgin Mary in the clouds.

[lanlady]

29. keep hearing that five-note ditty

from Close Encounters...

http://www.freeringtonesfyi.com/ringtones/close-encounters-of-the-third-kind/close-encounters-of-the-third-kind-ringtones.mp3

[csziggy]

30. Here is a link to the National Geographic article - not much more info

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/06/photogalleries/new-cloud-pictures/index.html

[csziggy]

31. Oh noes - "Damnation Alley" is coming true!

Where's the 12 wheeled RV?

[xfundy]

32. Looks like Ghostbusters

Just before the giant marshmallow attacked.

[Recovered Repug]

42. That was my first thought.

So who here is the gate keeper?

[never cry wolf]

33. Not a new type

Vincent painted it over 100 years ago

[MineralMan]

35. Saw that type of cloud over Saint Paul last summer.

I remember thinking, "Those are some wierd-ass clowds," so I came in and tuned in the weather channel. No comment. A radio blabber, though, was talking about them.

[chill_wind]

36. They remind me a little of whipped mashed potatoes. Fascinating images.

eom

[ThomWV]

38. I have seen distressed and convoluted clouds like that a few times in my 60+ years

I recall seeing them and I also recall that anytime I have seen something like that I just stared in awe.

[KittyWampus]

39. can you recall where you saw them. I'm sincerely interested.

[ThomWV]

52. Two I pretty distinctly recall

I recall seeing similar patterns twice that I can remember where but I can only guess about when. One was when fishing out of Hatteras, off shore 20 or 30 miles and I'm pretty sure to the north of the Inlet (right over the Gulf Stream with cold water upwellings from the Labrador Current). That was some time around the mid 1980's and if we were fishing down there it would definitely have been between February and maybe mid to late May. The second time was in the Appalachian mountains near the Fairfax Stone (the northern point where Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia meet) and the formation was to the west of the mountains (extending toward the Ohio Valley) but ended abruptly on its eastern border. This one was pretty recent, maybe 3 years ago but I can not remember if it was in the fall or spring, but it was one of the two because it was chilly. I have a fuzzy memory of a third time too but for the life of me I can not remember where it was other than it was somewhere very flat - possibly south Florida or maybe somewhere out west.

For whatever its worth I pay pretty good attention to the weather and clouds. Years ago I got my pilots license part of the ground training required that I learn a bit about the weather. Then sometime later I got my Captain's license (OUPV) and knowledge of weather played a part in the testing there as well but in both cases it really interested me. I kept up with the boat for quite a few years and when you fish off shore from a small boat you pay very close attention to the weather.

[Better Believe It]

41. Photos of Mammatus clouds More stunning pictures

Mammatus Clouds
sagging pouch-like structures
Mammatus are pouch-like cloud structures and a rare example of clouds in sinking air.


Mammatus clouds forming over Minnesota




Mammatus cloubs and crepuscular rays over San Francisco



Over Missouri




Over Mexico

[mogster]

49. I'm sorry but that last picture is of indecent clouds

They resemble either small asses or penises, even snow man goup sex, and should be forbidden. Promptly :D

[roamer65]

43. Reminds me of the clouds from the movie "Independence Day".

[undeterred]

44. Air Pollution you can see.

[taught_me_patience]

46. delete... already posted.

[Truth2Tell]

47. I can't believe this thread has made it this far

with no mention of the aliens.

[Kittycat]

54. Well of course they're made by Aliens

The clouds are really formed by the jet engines of their space machines.

[omega minimo]

48. aka Cloudus Nationalis Enquiris Coverum

[HamdenRice]

51. The "man" doesn't want us to know the aliens have arrived and are positioning their ships for ...

Independence Day!

:hi:

[omega minimo]

55. "The man"

is a space lizard!!