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. The cloud evaporates on the downwind side, so it appears stationary even though air is moving through the cloud. 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. Some really rare clouds were spotted in Oslo (Norway) that I have never seen before. 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. 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 the 24th of January 2020. They were expected, however, because stratospheric temperatures over Ireland and UK are very low and forecast to remain so for a … Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) play a central role in the formation of the ozone hole in the Antarctic and Arctic. Interesting to see them. But in the description of Lenticular Cloud, they fit into description. 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. Nacreous clouds, sometimes called mother-of-pearl clouds, are rare but once seen are never forgotten. On Christmas Eve, right after the sunset, a rare phenomenon occurred on the sky above my birth town. After doing some researches. Discover (and save!) Wind blows most types of clouds across the sky, but lenticular clouds seem to stay in one place. PSCs are extremely rare and are regarded by many as the most beautiful clouds on Earth. Rare Shimmering Rainbow Clouds Appear Over the U.K. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/02/160203-nacreous-clouds-scottland-england-uk-rainbow-clouds-polar-stratospheric.html. incredible arctic phenomenon took place in the skies of northern Sweden yesterday (December 29) as a "polar stratospheric cloud" was seen in … "After a hurricane comes a rainbow," Katy Perry sings in her hit Firework. Best tips on how to visit Tivoli Friheden in Aarhus in Denmark, Fine for riding light rail Tram and Metro without ticket in Oslo, Norway. The cold air the storm blew in also led to the formation of beautiful nacreous clouds. It rarely gets that cold in the Arctic, even in the winter. They're visible when fading light at sunset passes through tiny ice crystals blown along by a strong jet of stratospheric air. © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- Still, the clouds are hardly the biggest threat to the ozone layer. So because of much colder air in the Oslo area, they are thinner yet very rare to spot. 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! This amazing phenomena was taking on film in Sweden. These reactions lead to the production of free radicals of chlorine in the stratosphere which directly destroy ozone molecules. 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. 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. 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. The stratosphere is the 2nd layer in the atmosphere, after the troposphere. Nacreous clouds, sometimes called mother-of-pearl clouds, are rare but once seen are never forgotten. The song could almost describe the scene over Scotland and northern England Tuesday night. Please correct me. The colors can also be seen when Stratospheric nacreous clouds show up. Also called polar stratospheric clouds (or less precisely, rainbow clouds), nacreous clouds normally only form in high latitudes and at extremely cold temperatures. So, What type of clouds do you think that they are? Photograph by Owen Humphreys, PA Wire, Associated Press. This type of clouds is extremely rare to see and have been a welcome addition to the sights on our tours. Some really rare clouds were spotted in Oslo (Norway) that I have never seen before. Nacreous, also known as “mother of pearl,” and other kinds of “polar stratospheric” clouds are somewhat rare. (Pronounced ney-kree-uh s, the name refers to a resemblance to nacre, or mother-of-pearl.). The severe depletion of stratospheric ozone in late winter and early spring in the Nacreous clouds, polar stratospheric clouds typeII, are exceeding rare at such low latitudes. Air moves up and over a mountain, with the lenticular cloud forming just past the mountaintop. Lenticular clouds are lens-shaped and often look like flying saucers. Only when the temperature drops to a staggeringly cold -85C can sparse water molecules assemble themselves into icy stratospheric clouds. These high altitude clouds form only at very low temperatures help destroy ozone in two ways. Einar Enevoldson, named the Perlan Project after the rare polar stratospheric clouds that glow pink and blue in the early evening and morning. Polar stratospheric cloud in Sweden. 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. On August 3, 2017 the Perlan team took the opportunity to get a group photo with early morning Perlan … ), "These clouds are more than just a curiosity," Andrew Klekociuk, an atmospheric scientist with the Australian Antarctic Division, previously told National Geographic. Besides, they are a reduced amount of bright in colors and long-winded. No need to register, buy now! They are less likely to be rainbow colored and tend to glisten like crystal due to the level of ice contained in them. Called nacreous or polar stratospheric clouds, the rare phenomena adorned the British sky in the wake of Storm Henry. The circulating air in the vortex needs to align with the jet stream to allow the gravity waves to propagate to the upper atmosphere. “Local villagers in both Abisko and Kiruna who are more than 70 years old confirmed they have never seen anything of the size, scale, or intensity,” reports Blakley. stratosphere cause polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) to form. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Footage from Abisko in the Dec 3, 2012 - This Pin was discovered by Viola Corradi. 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. Witnessing displays this extraordinary can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. On the 24th of January 2020. However, the two phenomena are not related. The process is accelerated within polar stratospheric clouds. All rights reserved. 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. 20.5m members in the gifs community. The clouds were fluffy with lots of colors showing on the sides of them. Normally, the stratosphere has no clouds at all. It is something that I have only seen once in my l They are mostly visible within two hours after sunset or before dawn when they blaze unbelievably bright with vivid and slowly shifting iridescent colours. They are high-altitude clouds, seen at heights between 49,000 … 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. An incredible arctic phenomenon took place in the skies of northern Sweden yesterday (December 29) as a "polar stratospheric cloud" was seen in its rainbow-coloured glory. In rare … 182 Incredibly rare sighting over northern Sweden as 'polar stratospheric cloud' shimmers in the sky . The shimmery phenomena above were photographed near Whitley Bay, Northumberland, in northern England. This year, frigid temperatures caused so-called polar stratospheric clouds to … Types of Polar Stratospheric Clouds. A rare cloud was snapped over Langwathby in Cumbria on Thursday evening. 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC. The clouds shine their iridescent filmy colours into the dawn brightening sky. Such staggeringly-low temperatures are required to help sparse water molecules stick together. Find the perfect polar stratospheric clouds stock photo. I could see out of my window something was so bright at the dark sky, then i could see those clouds… Funny, animated GIFs: Your favorite computer file type! Hence, at this time the polar stratospheric clouds tend to form. 379 votes, 11 comments. PSCs are far more rare than auroras. As 2019 came to a close, northern Europe saw a beautiful display of polar stratospheric clouds. I would think that because of the looks that this is Lenticular Clouds but they are also much smaller in the looks. Nacreous clouds are rare and very high clouds, known mainly for the coloured light they reflect after sunset and before sunrise. They are recognized by their unique display of iridescent colors and patterns. Nacreous clouds typically form in the winter polar stratosphere, a layer of our atmosphere around 15,000 to 25,000m in altitude. Commonly known as noctilucent (“night-shining”) clouds, they only form at temperatures below -78°C. A nacreous cloud was seen near Whitley Bay, Northumberland in northern England on February 2, 2016, delighting observers. These polar stratospheric clouds (PSC) are known in Scandinavia as “Perlan clouds” meaning “pearl” or “mother of pearl.”. 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. I will update this article. Type Two – Involves nacreous clouds that comprise of particles of ice crystals that have low temperatures of about ~minus eighty-five degrees Celsius. PSCs provide surfaces upon which heterogeneous chemical reactions take place. The filmer explained: "These clouds - also called 'Nacreous clouds,' or 'mother-of-pearl clouds,' are rare but once seen are never forgotten. Source: Distrita Own Experience – Photo: Michal Bergseth, We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. Follow Brian Clark Howard on Twitter and Google+. polar stratospheric cloud large | seascapes | sunsets / sunrises | popular. Specifically, the clouds form surfaces where chemical reactions can take place that produce ozone-destroying molecules, and can contribute to the formation of polar ozone holes. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. The colours are reminiscent of the colours which reflect from a thin layer of oil on top of water, an effect known as iridescence. It seems to have the same specter of colors but they don’t look the same at all. Oslo is a Polar capital. (See another photo. Type One – Compared to type one clouds, these types of clouds are less enormous. They are much smaller but some sort of particles gives the edges this specter of colors. Officially pronounced with a … The colors were spanning from white green to violet red color. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. Polar stratospheric clouds are rare. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. The clouds were fluffy with lots of colors showing on the sides of them. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. Nacreous clouds are polar stratospheric clouds that occur high in the stratosphere moments after sunset in regions close to or in the Arctic Circle. Once I have a clear answer to them. 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. So, I think it was nice to take some shots and document them. They are jewels in the stratosphere. These clouds are only visible when the sun is below the horizon and they are composed entirely of ice. The colors were spanning from white green to violet red color. In the Boulder, Colorado area, the obstacle is the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, seen at the bottom of the picture. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. "They reveal extreme conditions in the atmosphere and promote chemical changes that lead to destruction of vital stratospheric ozone.". That's an unusual place to spot them, as they usually appear along polar regions. 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. “At one point I would say that close to 25% of the sky was … At this science education site, it seems like they are Lenticular Clouds but I finally got to know that they are Polar stratospheric clouds. 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. Unlike the similar Polar Stratospheric clouds, noctilucent (or polar mesospheric clouds) occur in the polar mesosphere. your own Pins on Pinterest Antarctica's ozone hole has company: A rare hole over the Arctic. A few times each winter, however, icy clouds form when the temperature in the stratosphere drops below -85C. 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