18 Bizarre Cloud Formations

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• published: 02 Sep 2016
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Look up at the sky do you see any of these unusual looking clouds? From ones that look like a storm brewing to jellyfish looking clouds! Subscribe to Talltanic http://goo.gl/wgfvrr 10. Noctilucent Clouds Noctilucent clouds are an extremely rare form of cloud that is formed at the top of the Earth’s atmosphere. They are usually very faint and they are only visible during twilight or sunset. The clouds can only be found at specific spots on the planet and they can only be seen if the sun is below the horizon but, the cloud is still catching the sunlight. The formation of the clouds still isn't totally understood because they were discovered relatively recently. 9. Kelvin-Helmholtz Waves This strange cloud formation has a very cartoonish wave shape. They are rare and they usually only last for a few minutes before disappearing. They happen when fast moving warm water interacts with slow moving cold air, the differences between the air causes the wave-like pattern. The solution to this pattern was actually discovered by a team of physicists, William Kelvin and Hermann von Helmholtz. The formation of these clouds also means that no aircraft should be flying by. The air has to be choppy for these clouds to exist. 8. Supercell A supercell is actually a storm. It is a thunderstorm that has that distinctive cyclone in the middle. Although this cloud is very beautiful, don’t be caught next to one. They have been known to produce deadly winds, fist-sized hail, and flash floods. A tornado is a type of supercell but, there are many different types of this formation. If you see this one up close, chances are you are already dead. 7. Fallstreak Holes The fallstreak hole is more of the absence of a cloud than an actual cloud type. The holes develop when the air is below freezing but, can’t freeze all the way thanks to the lack of ice particles. When the air finally does freeze it causes the ice crystal to fall to the ground and create that random hole in the sky. These clouds have actually been cited as UFOs thanks to their unusual out-of-place appearance. 6. Wave Clouds Not to be confused with mist clouds or Kelvin- Helmholtz clouds, wave clouds make up their very own category of cloud formation. They’re formed when stable air flows over a mountain or some other raised geographical feature, otherwise known as atmospheric internal waves. The air flowing over the waves in the ground causes the waves in the cloud. The clouds aren’t really that rare but, they sure are cool. 5. Mist Clouds These cool looking clouds were caught by a Florida weatherman on February 5th, 2012. When the images showed up online they gained instant popularity and they gained the name “cloud tsunami”. These harmless mist clouds don’t have anything in common with the natural disaster, though. The mist is caused by a low temperature and a high concentration of water in the air. 4. Pileus clouds This is fanciest cloud form, everybody. It’s recognized by looking like one cloud just made another cloud into a fancy hat. Because of this, it is usually called the scarf or cap cloud. These clouds change shape fast so, if you catch one then you should consider yourself lucky. Or not so lucky because these clouds also mean that a storm is coming. They are formed because, the main cloud is unstable, has a lot of excess water, and is growing fast. These clouds can also come with some intense winds. 3. Jellyfish Cloud Much like the pileus clouds the jellyfish clouds are not really a cloud of their own but, instead are an add-on to an original cloud. They are formed when the cloud wants to rain but, the rain is evaporated before it can reach the ground. The evaporated rain leaves a long trail that is similar to a jellyfish shape. These clouds are the most common is dry desert climates. 2. Lenticular Clouds This spectacular cloud is the gold standard for cloud watching. They are stationary circular clouds that can sometimes layer over one another. The clouds also have a special formation caused by a disruption in the wind flow, most commonly associated with man-made objects like buildings. When the air is disrupted in the right way and the air is at the right dew point, then these clouds can form low or high in the sky. These clouds can be unnerving because they don’t move. They are also another type of cloud that has been mistaken for UFOs because of their circular appearance. 1.Cloud Iridescence Cloud iridescence is a fairly rare occurrence. The clouds exhibit colors similar to that of an oil slick and they look like rainbows. The colors can be even more vivid than rainbows, though. They happen when there are small water or ice droplets trapped in the cloud and the cloud scatters the light of the sun. The clouds are rare because you won’t get the color unless the sun's light only touches one of the water or ice droplets. So you have to have very special circumstances and the cloud won’t last that long.