I suppose if I truly want to take the weekend off, I’ll have to ditch my smartphone. These photos from the Facebook page of the Panhandle Helicopter Service in Panama City Beach, Florida, have been making the rounds today, erroneously labeled by ABC, MSNBC, and other news outlets as a “tsunami cloud”. Hence my humorous headline. Here’s the pictures in a clickable gallery:
The explanation for this phenomenon is very simple.
Nearly saturated (at almost the dew point) air from a sea breeze is being lifted (Orographic lifting) as it meets the coast and the buildings. The slight cooling from the lifting cools the air to the dew point and clouds form.
A similar phenomenon can be seen on some ocean islands.
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Truly beautiful
Orographic clouds are awesome …
w.
I figured something like the explanation.
But does it really hold for an island-like feature when it may be “easier” for the air to move around the obstruction, than over it? (After Le Chatelier’s principle)
(Sticking my head out, displaying how little I know.)
Obvious variables to consider are density (variable with water vapour content), free velocity, height of obstacle and the “width” of the obstacle. Surface “roughness” comes into play because that affects the vertical velocity (and pressure) distribution of the air.
How in the world can anyone at an airport, on vacation search a database and find a photo example of an Orographic cloud from the Faroe islands?
In the mountains we have “lenticular clouds” that scramble people’s thinking processes if they haven’t seen them before and don’t understand lapse rates. Some people think they’re UFOs. The Plymouth State University Cloud Boutique has several (for free).
http://vortex.plymouth.edu/cloudboutique/
Anthony,
You always have cool stuff on your blog. Thank you.
Awesome. Thanks.
I think I see da plane coming out of the fog on that mysterious island.
Offshore wind turbines do it too
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-01/wind-turbines-leave-clouds-and-energy-inefficiency-their-wake
Anthony, you are the most useless person!
At taking time off.
However, those pictures are very cool, so thanks!
Methane fog ?
I just read we’re in for it…
any day now…
some time…
soon…
if…
quote
The explanation for this phenomenon is very simple.
unquote
It’s aided by the production of billions of salt particles from the waves breaking on the beach.
JF
I used to “milk clouds” with my omnidirectional fogwater collectors.
clouds are gorgeous!
normal to prevailing winds for maximun m2
Omnidirectional collects more than fixed by giroscopic effect.
http://www.sswm.info/sites/default/files/reference_attachments/SCHEMENAUER%20and%20CERECEDA%201994%20Standard%20Fog%20Collector%20for%20Use%20in%20High%20Elevation%20Regions.pdf
I almost started a conflict painting the wind with bengal light. That was at Sarfeit in the border with Yemen just before the Storm 92.
It still looks cool!!!
Also, here’s a video in timelapse with fog:
I clicked back to WUWT, absolutely knowing that Anthony would post again. So much for fallibility!
In the Luytla-Duymun Island picture is similar to what I saw off one of the headlands (Where “The Metal Man” is) around Tramore, Waterford, Ireland back in the late 70’s. Fog was slowly drifting over one of the headlands and then eventually settling on the sea. Awesome to watch, but that’s about it.
Go to SF in the summer sometime its basically the same thing:)
Ah yes… orographic uplift…. snowpack in th thie Cascades/Sierra;s . cool pics Anthony.
Temperature and humidity very close to the dew point. Last September I flew from London to Mallorca (Spain). The weather was clear but cool and visibility was very good on land. When we got to the English channel, the sea was covered with a thin but dense layer of fog which stopped at the shoreline. If there had been an onshore wind, there would have been similar foggy effects as in the pictures. As they say, it’s weather.
Bob Diaz says:
Stunning video Bob. Looks great full screen on my IPS monitor. NICE camera work. Thanks for that.
Beautiful photographs, Anthony, but turn off the bl..dy phone and take a break. Your wife must be a saint!
Anthony: Is it a slight cooling, or a slight pressure drop that condenses the water? One sees this on airplane wings on landing and taking off occasionally.
Table mountain with its table cloth. Same phenomenom. Lots of pictures on the web.
Fugitive mist. Great pictures, Anthony and Rick Wermes’ photos too.
‘Look, they’ re just lenticular clouds, no need to sacrifice any maidens!
Although no nuclear power plants were damaged by the “fog tsunami”, GreenPeace immediately issued a press release calling for their shutdown until they could be reinforced against fog damage and proven to be safe.
/humor