Known informally as Undulatus asperatus clouds, they can be stunning in
appearance, unusual in occurrence, are relatively unstudied, and have
even been suggested as a new type of cloud. Whereas most low cloud decks
are flat bottomed, asperatus clouds appear to have significant vertical
structure underneath. Speculation therefore holds that asperatus clouds
might be related to lenticular clouds that form near mountains, or
mammatus clouds associated with thunderstorms, or perhaps a foehn wind
-- a type of dry downward wind that flows off mountains. Such a wind
called the Canterbury arch streams toward the east coast of New
Zealand's South Island. The featured image, taken above Hanmer Springs
in Canterbury, New Zealand, in 2005, shows great detail partly because
sunlight illuminates the undulating clouds from the side.
This was NASA's
Astronomy Picture of the Day.
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