Friday, November 21, 2008

Poetic Clouds

Here is Triss' written exam description of billow altomulus clouds, which graced the sky above us last week:
Billow altocumulus clouds strikingly resemble a freshly plowed field – straight, plain rows striping the sky. One blue sky-stripe, one ragged cloud-stripe, one vibrant blue stripe, one pallid grey stripe. Some of the edges of the clouds are twisted, like a page about to be turned, and there is a dark grey shadow and a shining slash of light abutting each other.

This interesting and unusual cloud formation is caused by differing and parallel air currents. Wherever there is a clear stripe, air is flowing swiftly upwards, and wherever there is a cloud-stripe, air is sinking downwards and causing fluffiness. This usually precedes a storm or other unsettled weather, and looks absolutely lovely when there is a sunset.


Update: I went ahead and posted this while Triss was gone, knowing that she wouldn't mind. And she didn't, but when she got back, she told me it wasn't finished-- I had only posted the first paragraph! So now I have posted all of it.

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