Rare Cloud Forms Above Antarctica♥ Last year on July 25, Renae Baker, a scientist with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, snapped a picture of a rare Nacreous Cloud at the country's Antarctic Mawson station .
The cloud formed at a height of 12.5 miles (20 Km) above the ground and was more than twice as tall as clouds normally seen in Polar Regions.
The Nacreous Clouds — also known as Polar Stratospheric Clouds — form "when the fading light at sunset passes through tiny ice crystals blown along by a strong jet of stratospheric air and they form only in polar latitudes and at extremely cold temperatures."
This type of cloud contributes to the formation of the polar ozone holes and form surfaces where chemical reactions can take place that produce ozone-destroying molecules.
The ice-cold phenomenon also could help scientists understand more about atmospheric conditions and climate change.
According to Andrew Klekociuk, an atmospheric scientist with the Australian Antarctic Division, "These clouds are more than just a curiosity, they reveal extreme conditions in the atmosphere and promote chemical changes that lead to destruction of vital stratospheric ozone."
You can read:
All doc. from National Geographic
And: "Antarctica's Atmosphere Warming Dramatically, Study Finds" [March 30, 2006]
The cloud formed at a height of 12.5 miles (20 Km) above the ground and was more than twice as tall as clouds normally seen in Polar Regions.
The Nacreous Clouds — also known as Polar Stratospheric Clouds — form "when the fading light at sunset passes through tiny ice crystals blown along by a strong jet of stratospheric air and they form only in polar latitudes and at extremely cold temperatures."
This type of cloud contributes to the formation of the polar ozone holes and form surfaces where chemical reactions can take place that produce ozone-destroying molecules.
The ice-cold phenomenon also could help scientists understand more about atmospheric conditions and climate change.
According to Andrew Klekociuk, an atmospheric scientist with the Australian Antarctic Division, "These clouds are more than just a curiosity, they reveal extreme conditions in the atmosphere and promote chemical changes that lead to destruction of vital stratospheric ozone."
You can read:
All doc. from National Geographic
And: "Antarctica's Atmosphere Warming Dramatically, Study Finds" [March 30, 2006]
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