Low-Level Clouds, pt. II

As we continue our discussion of low-level clouds, we turn our attention to the second general classification of clouds: stratus. Stratus clouds can be identified by their almost uniform appearance. They look like a sheet of gray that covers all or part of the sky. As a result of their uniformity, they are among the most boring clouds to photograph. The two pictures above show examples of stratus clouds. (In the first picture, incidentally taken in Turkey, the stratus clouds are in the background, not the foreground, which is a cumulus fragmatus or scud.) In each case, although there may appear to be some variation within the cloud structure, the clouds do not form the "cotton-ball" texture of cumulus clouds.
Stratus clouds may simply cover the sky without producing rain, as in the case of the first picture, or they may be a variation called nimbostratus. "Nimbo," as it does in the word cumulonimbus, signifies rain. Thus, nimbostratus clouds, such as those in the second picture, are rain-producing stratus clouds.
The final type of stratus cloud that I should mention is one that we are all familiar with, even though few of us have ever taken a picture of it or enjoyed it: fog. Fog is in reality a cloud that has formed at or near ground level. While there are several possible mechanisms for the fog forming, the end result is usually some type of stratus cloud. So, if you've ever wondered what it would be like to be inside a cloud, remember what it was like the last time you walked or drove through fog. You'll have your answer.

Low-Level Clouds, pt. I

In this post, we'll look at three examples of one of the two types of low-level clouds: cumulus clouds. Low-level clouds, incidentally, are those clouds that have bases that start at no more than 6500 feet.
Cumulus clouds are the type of cloud that most people think of when they think of clouds. These clouds can be recognized by the "clumped" shape. (Stratus clouds, on the other hand, are smooth, as we'll see in the next post.)
The first picture is of a cumulus humilus (fair-weather cumulus). Clouds like this show limited vertical development and indicate that the atmosphere is stable, at least at the moment. These clouds are among the most beautiful.
The second picture is a distant picture of a distant cumulonimbus. Cumulonimbus clouds (also know as thunderheads, et al.) technically cannot be assigned to any given level, since they often reach up many thousands of feet. However, I've included them here since they often start at the low levels of the atmosphere. These clouds form during the summer months and are responsible for most strong and severe storms. They start life as a simple cumulus humilus, but if the atmospheric conditions are right, they will grow into the intimidating towers like the one seen in picture number two.
The final picture is of the sky on a particularly turbulent day. No rain or other significant weather occurred with them, but they are fascinating to look at. The cloud base is not smooth at all. Although I'm not 100% sure of its cause, I would guess that what happened was that right above the clouds is a layer of stability, while the air below was highly unstable. The result is that a wave-type motion developed, creating the bizarre patterns that we see.

Rambling: Merry Christmas

More about clouds in subsequent posts. For now, have a merry and blessed Christmas!

Rambling: Clouds

Stop sometime and just look at the clouds. They are fascinating in and of themselves. All they are is innumerable water droplets suspended in the air thousands of feet above the ground. Yet within them can be seen patterns and shapes on an otherwise calm day. At sunset and sunrise, they catch the long wavelengths of the sun's rays and reflect the myriad of colors to our eager eyes. What an amazingly simply and beautiful creation clouds are! What a God to think of something like that!

Clouds have always fascinated me. As a kid, I used to love to look up into a deep azure sky on a calm summer afternoon and pretend that I was floating along in the clouds. What I never noticed as a kid, though, is that there are numerous different cloud types. Clouds are classified first by their altitude then by their appearance and composition. The three levels are low level clouds, which have no prefix, mid-level clouds, which have the prefix "alto-" and high-level clouds, which have the prefix "cirro-." The appearance of a cloud determines the second half of the name: cumulus, stratus, and other words describe the different structures.
If I remember, over the next several posts, I'll go through the different types of clouds and describe a little bit about them, complete with as many pictures as I have.

Rambling: Next Time, Try Swiss Cheese

So, I'm sitting around thinking about something to write, and I attempt to post a picture. However, since I've migrated to a newer version of Blogger, the program I use won't let me post it. That's too bad, too, because it is an unusual picture.
Instead of the picture, then, I've decided to write whatever comes to my mind. .....................
Well, it appears I have writer's block, which is sort of like being blocked in football, only it's more like being stuck under a block of wood, because it's sort of an oppressive feeling that lingers on the edge of your mind, mocking you, "Ha ha! You think you're so smart but you can't think of anything to write! Next time, start with Swiss Cheese as a prompt and see where that leads you."

Well, here goes. Swiss cheese. Swiss Miss. Cocoa. Glad, liederhosen-clad Swiss yodelers. Riccola!!!!!!!!!!!

Rant: Analogies on Standardized Tests

<rant>I spent some time tonight preparing for the GRE, which I have to take in order to start my graduate coursework. (Don't worry, I'm still going to be teaching. The classes are only in the summer.) I did a little bit of practice on the verbal sections, and, as usual, when I came to the analogies section, I struggled a little. Why? Because the analogies that they sometimes draw are so abstruse that someone with a Ph.D. in English couldn't figure out the correct answer!

Consider this made-up example that mimics what I see far too often on GRE-type tests:
HAPPY : JOYFUL ::
A. LUCKY : MYTHOLOGICAL
B. SAD : MELANCHOLY
C. ANGRY : PERTURBED
D. HOPEFUL : FORWARD-LOOKING
E. CLEVELAND : OHIO

So, what's the answer? Well, if you look carefully at the options, there are at least two answers that would work, perhaps 3. (E is not correct, however...sorry.) The problem is that the relationship between happy and joyful is more complex than a simple analogy can cover. The result? Wrong answers because I don't think like the test takers!
Here's an analogy that I think should be on every GRE and SAT:
ANALOGIES : VERBAL ABILITY
A. HAPPINESS : SADNESS
B. GOOD : BAD
C. INTELLIGENT : STUPID
D. POSITIVE : NEGATIVE
E. DAY : NIGHT
</rant>

Commentary: Absurd Iran

Iran is at it, again. This time, they are preparing to host a conference on whether or not the Holocaust took place. The conference, which will take place tomorrow and Monday, is somewhat akin to Satan holding a conference on the existence of God. Do all of these highly-educated political experts really believe the drivel that they are spouting? I don't think so. If there were a Nobel Prize for Most Disingenuous Conference, this one would win it hands down. The Holocaust is one of the most well-documented events in modern history, and the attendees at this conference know it. They are choosing instead to pretend that they don't know for the sake of justifying their own political agenda.

Basically, I think that Iran is looking to gather a group of yes men who will provide it with "legitimacy" in attacking Israel (especially once Iran gets nuclear weapons) and attempting to wipe it off the map to reclaim "Muslim" lands. Of course, this ignores that the fact that Israel occupied those lands long before Islam existed and that the Muslims swept in nearly 1000 years after the Jews had been driven from the region by Rome.
So, as the absurdity continues in the Middle East occurs, I pray that our political leaders in this country take notice of the irrational behavior they're witnessing and develop appropriate policies for handling the situation. These countries will not behave in the same ways that the Soviet Union did. Our policies need to change to reflect this.

Rambling: Movie Quotation IV

This line randomly popped into my head today as I was thinking about how different things have been this week for me. The word "different" triggered this little exchange from a movie. See if you can guess the movie.
Young man: Well, I already told you...I want to do something different.
Father: So put some Jell-o down your pants!

Muppets Take Manhattan

Commentary: "Huricane" Season

It's official. The 2006 hurricane season is now officially over. Yesterday was the final day, and the NOAA forecast that this season would be significantly above average in terms of activity and severity has been a bigger bust than Ryan Leaf was for the San Diego Chargers.

Why the error? One simple reason: we are not God. We don't control the weather. We don't even fully understand it, which makes it hard for us to forecast conditions even 24 hours in advance. So, as the media attempts to bring us more doom and gloom forecasts about out of control global warming, we need to keep in mind that these forecasts could be just as easily in error as the hurricane forecast was this year.