These pictures were taken on 6th july 2019 in northern Italy.
Mammatus clouds photographed during a thunderstorm.
Mammatus clouds photographed during a thunderstorm.
☁ What are Mammatus clouds?
They are storm clouds.
☁ Where are they formed?
They form in the troposphere which is a band of the atmosphere that goes from the ground up to an average of 15 km altitude (variable according to latitude: 8 km at the poles, 16-20 km at the equator).
☁ How are they formed?
They are formed by intense upward currents that transport large quantities of water vapor, first in a gaseous state and then as ice crystals and supercooled water as they pass through colder layers of the atmosphere, up to the tropopause (layer of atmosphere that separates the troposphere from the stratosphere ) where they favor the development of anvil-shaped storm clouds from which the rains will then precipitate.
When the thunderstorm subsides, the ice crystals will begin to prevail on the anvil, which will then begin to descend due to their weight.
However, as soon as they come out of the anvil (therefore from the thundercloud) they will find an environment with dry and cold air and therefore instantly sublimate (direct passage from the solid state to the gaseous one without going through the liquid phase) and will return to altitude.
When the thunderstorm subsides, the ice crystals will begin to prevail on the anvil, which will then begin to descend due to their weight.
However, as soon as they come out of the anvil (therefore from the thundercloud) they will find an environment with dry and cold air and therefore instantly sublimate (direct passage from the solid state to the gaseous one without going through the liquid phase) and will return to altitude.
So in conclusion, Mammatus are formed through this cycle of phenomena which are crystallization and sublimation.
☁ What are the optimal conditions to observe their formation?
the optimal conditions that allow the formation of these clouds are when starting from conditions of high humidity in the low strata, the formation of a thunderstorm and when at high altitude there is not too much wind, otherwise the anvil quickly frays preventing its formation.
the optimal conditions that allow the formation of these clouds are when starting from conditions of high humidity in the low strata, the formation of a thunderstorm and when at high altitude there is not too much wind, otherwise the anvil quickly frays preventing its formation.
