Nature
PUBLISHED
Bet you never thought you’d have a favorite type of cloud, but be prepared to have a new appreciation of the great marshmallows in the sky.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.This video, below, shows a timelapse of rippling cloud waves in the sky above Augusta, Georgia. It was shot by Dr. Alan Walters, who recorded the video on his smartphone out of the window while on shift at the University Hospital in Augusta.
The cloud formation is known as Undulatus asperatus – which loosely translates from Latin as “roughening wave.” The type of cloud has captured the heart of so many cloud lovers, it's looking to become the first cloud granted official classification status since 1951.
Scientists still aren’t certain about the precise weather mechanisms that create this fluffy treat. However, Graham Anderson, an observation scientist at the U.K. Met Office, told the MailOnline there are a few theories floating around: “‘One theory is that when you model conditions for a mammatus cloud and then add wind, it gets features that look like Undulatus.”
He added: “It forms near storms, and is most frequently observed near a mass of storms in the U.S., quite often in conjunction with very big thunderstorms.”
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