Towering Cumulus

Photo credit - carptrash - cc-by-sa

Photo credit – carptrash – cc-by-sa


Cloud of the Day – Towering Cumulus

Photo credit - Patt Frantz - copyright

Photo credit – Patt Frantz – copyright

Towering cumulus, also known as cumulus congestus, is what happens to fair weather cumulus if the atmosphere is more unstable. The stability of the atmosphere depends on several factors, such as the temperature gradient and the amount of water vapor in the air. When the temperature drops rapidly with height, the air is more inclined to boil up, and more water vapor means there’s more energy to help it. Where there is nothing to limit vertical development, rising air and moisture can build up into these robust towers. Identified by their substantial vertical size, which is often well over six thousand meters, and their patented “cauliflower” tops, these clouds are the big brothers in the cumulus family. Still no rain though, from towering cumulus. I know what Wikipedia says, but I think the definition of towering cumulus ends when precipitation starts.

rjb

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Seeing Blue

seeing-blueLanguage affects how we see the world. More than that, language affects what we see, even what we can see. If there is no word in the language for it, we’re less likely to see it.

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology used twenty hues of blue to test for this perceptual quirk. They recruited fifty people, half native English speakers and half native Russian speakers, and had them try to match colored squares. They were shown a reference square of a particular shade of blue and asked which of two other squares, of slightly different shades, matched it. In one type of test the two squares were very similar, and in the other type of test they were more different. Continue reading

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Not Good Enough Award

Image credit - ladysighs

Image credit – ladysighs

Green Comet receives the coveted Not Good Enough For An Award Award

Along with many others, Green Comet has qualified for the Not Good Enough For An Award Award. I know you’re all happy for me.-)

rjb

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