Commonly known as noctilucent (“night-shining”) clouds, they only form at temperatures below -78°C. An incredible Arctic phenomenon took place in the skies of northern Sweden on Sunday as a "polar stratospheric cloud" was seen in its rainbow-coloured glory. So there I was, climbing the nearest hill dressed up for Christmas, slightly anxious about my expensive suit among all the trees and bushes, setting up my gear to try to get one of these be-there-at-the-right-time shots. It seems like they are the polar versions of them for me: Lenticular, or lee wave, clouds form downwind of an obstacle in the path of a strong air current. On the 24th of January 2020. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. FACTS about Polar stratospheric clouds These type clouds in the winter polar stratosphere at altitudes of 15,000–25,000 m. They are best observed during civil twilight, when the Sun is between 1 and 6 degrees below the horizon, as well as in winter and in more northerly latitudes.Altitude: 15,000–25,000 m; (49,000–82,000 ft)Appearance: Glowing brightly with vivid iridescent colorsClassification: OtherAbbreviation: PSCDistrita spotted them on 24th of January 2020 – Source: Wikipedia. While not quite a hurricane, Storm Henry battered the northern U.K. with winds up to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour), causing flooding and disrupting power for thousands. Nacreous clouds are rare and very high clouds, known mainly for the coloured light they reflect after sunset and before sunrise. 20.5m members in the gifs community. PSCs provide surfaces upon which heterogeneous chemical reactions take place. A few times each winter, however, icy clouds form when the temperature in the stratosphere drops below -85C. After doing some researches. The severe depletion of stratospheric ozone in late winter and early spring in the rare polar stratospheric clouds could be in the sky over the coming mornings and evenings Be well worth keeping a eye on the sky's around sun rise and sunset over the coming days temperatures in the stratosphere it will be cold enough over the Ireland and the UK for polar Stratospheric clouds (PSCs) (nacreous clouds) to form. PSCs are far more rare than auroras. "They reveal extreme conditions in the atmosphere and promote chemical changes that lead to destruction of vital stratospheric ozone.". Footage from Abisko in the Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) play a central role in the formation of the ozone hole in the Antarctic and Arctic. They were expected, however, because stratospheric temperatures over Ireland and UK are very low and forecast to remain so for a … Still, the clouds are hardly the biggest threat to the ozone layer. The clouds are usually seen over Norway and other polar regions, when the sun is just below the horizon so it's a rare treat to see them in the UK. They are also known for their rare appearances, which are also mostly limited to polar regions. 379 votes, 11 comments. Hence, at this time the polar stratospheric clouds tend to form. Type One – Compared to type one clouds, these types of clouds are less enormous. Once I have a clear answer to them. Nacreous clouds are polar stratospheric clouds that occur high in the stratosphere moments after sunset in regions close to or in the Arctic Circle. The shimmery phenomena above were photographed near Whitley Bay, Northumberland, in northern England. The clouds were fluffy with lots of colors showing on the sides of them. A powerful outbreak of Polar stratospheric clouds graced the sky above Abisko National Park during the last week of 2019 – just in time for New Year’s Eve! Air moves up and over a mountain, with the lenticular cloud forming just past the mountaintop. Polar stratospheric cloud in Sweden. So, What type of clouds do you think that they are? In rare … A nacreous cloud was seen near Whitley Bay, Northumberland in northern England on February 2, 2016, delighting observers. The filmer explained: "These clouds - also called 'Nacreous clouds,' or 'mother-of-pearl clouds,' are rare but once seen are never forgotten. No need to register, buy now! "After a hurricane comes a rainbow," Katy Perry sings in her hit Firework. It rarely gets that cold in the Arctic, even in the winter. However, the two phenomena are not related. Scientists recently discovered that polar stratospheric clouds, long known to play an important role in Antarctic ozone destruction, are occurring with increasing frequency in the Arctic. (See another photo. They are much smaller but some sort of particles gives the edges this specter of colors. incredible arctic phenomenon took place in the skies of northern Sweden yesterday (December 29) as a "polar stratospheric cloud" was seen in … Nacreous clouds, polar stratospheric clouds typeII, are exceeding rare at such low latitudes. They are mostly visible within two hours after sunset or before dawn when they blaze unbelievably bright with vivid and slowly shifting iridescent colours. The colors were spanning from white green to violet red color. They are recognized by their unique display of iridescent colors and patterns. On August 3, 2017 the Perlan team took the opportunity to get a group photo with early morning Perlan … It seems to have the same specter of colors but they don’t look the same at all. The stratosphere is the 2nd layer in the atmosphere, after the troposphere. Only when the temperature drops to a staggeringly cold -85C can sparse water molecules assemble themselves into icy stratospheric clouds. This year, frigid temperatures caused so-called polar stratospheric clouds to … Pitts said mountain wave clouds at such high altitudes are rare because they only form when the jet stream is properly aligned with the edge of the polar vortex, a large air pressure system over the poles. I will update this article. That's an unusual place to spot them, as they usually appear along polar regions. The process is accelerated within polar stratospheric clouds. Nacreous, also known as “mother of pearl,” and other kinds of “polar stratospheric” clouds are somewhat rare. Find the perfect polar stratospheric clouds stock photo. ), "These clouds are more than just a curiosity," Andrew Klekociuk, an atmospheric scientist with the Australian Antarctic Division, previously told National Geographic. So because of much colder air in the Oslo area, they are thinner yet very rare to spot. Rare Shimmering Rainbow Clouds Appear Over the U.K. Called nacreous or polar stratospheric clouds, the rare phenomena adorned the British sky in the wake of Storm Henry. Some really rare clouds were spotted in Oslo (Norway) that I have never seen before. Funny, animated GIFs: Your favorite computer file type! Types of Polar Stratospheric Clouds. But in the description of Lenticular Cloud, they fit into description. These high altitude clouds form only at very low temperatures help destroy ozone in two ways. Ice polar stratospheric clouds (nacreous clouds) form at temperatures below the ice frost point, typically near −85 °C, which is colder than the average lower stratosphere temperature.The characteristic bright iridescent colours, resulting from diffraction and interference of light waves, suggest that the clouds are composed of similarly sized spherical crystals of about 10 μm in diameter. The cold air the storm blew in also led to the formation of beautiful nacreous clouds. That would come in the form of manmade chemicals like CFCs, HCFS, freon, and halons, most of which have been dramatically reduced thanks to international agreement. The cloud evaporates on the downwind side, so it appears stationary even though air is moving through the cloud. The colors can also be seen when Stratospheric nacreous clouds show up. I would think that because of the looks that this is Lenticular Clouds but they are also much smaller in the looks. Discover (and save!) Source: Distrita Own Experience – Photo: Michal Bergseth, We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. Antarctica's ozone hole has company: A rare hole over the Arctic. Follow Brian Clark Howard on Twitter and Google+. 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC. They are high-altitude clouds, seen at heights between 49,000 … Lenticular clouds are lens-shaped and often look like flying saucers. Interesting to see them. It is something that I have only seen once in my l © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- At this science education site, it seems like they are Lenticular Clouds but I finally got to know that they are Polar stratospheric clouds. The song could almost describe the scene over Scotland and northern England Tuesday night. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. Polar stratospheric clouds are rare. Such staggeringly-low temperatures are required to help sparse water molecules stick together. PSCs are extremely rare and are regarded by many as the most beautiful clouds on Earth. These reactions lead to the production of free radicals of chlorine in the stratosphere which directly destroy ozone molecules. Please correct me. All rights reserved. These polar stratospheric clouds (PSC) are known in Scandinavia as “Perlan clouds” meaning “pearl” or “mother of pearl.”. The clouds were fluffy with lots of colors showing on the sides of them. 182 Incredibly rare sighting over northern Sweden as 'polar stratospheric cloud' shimmers in the sky . “At one point I would say that close to 25% of the sky was … Besides, they are a reduced amount of bright in colors and long-winded. Special reactions that occur on PSCs, combined with the isolation of polar stratospheric air in the polar vortex, allow chlorine and bromine reactions to produce the ozone hole in Antarctic springtime. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. I found out that these clouds are very rare. (Pronounced ney-kree-uh s, the name refers to a resemblance to nacre, or mother-of-pearl.). "They … Officially pronounced with a … As 2019 came to a close, northern Europe saw a beautiful display of polar stratospheric clouds. They are jewels in the stratosphere. Dec 3, 2012 - This Pin was discovered by Viola Corradi. The colours are reminiscent of the colours which reflect from a thin layer of oil on top of water, an effect known as iridescence. These clouds are only visible when the sun is below the horizon and they are composed entirely of ice. During the last few days we have been so incredibly lucky to observe lenticular polar stratospheric clouds in the south and southeast of Iceland. On Christmas Eve, right after the sunset, a rare phenomenon occurred on the sky above my birth town. Some really rare clouds were spotted in Oslo (Norway) that I have never seen before. On Jan. 22, 2020, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched a high-altitude balloon directly into an outbreak of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) inside the Arctic Circle. They're visible when fading light at sunset passes through tiny ice crystals blown along by a strong jet of stratospheric air. It is something that I have only seen once in my lifetime and I had to take photos of them on my way to Ryen Metro station. 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