Sometimes, nature is absolutely magnificent in its beauty. When it comes to the oceans of this earth, they are a constant source of amazing sights that soothe our very souls. The combination of the vast sea and the clouds in the never-ending sky is classic therapy. Luckily for Space Coast, Florida’s surfing community, when they woke up this Wednesday morning, they were met with a therapeutic view.
Florida residents woke up to beatific pearl-gray cloud formations draped over the morning sky. The U.S. National Weather Service, Melbourne posted pictures of these unusual cloud formations which looked like waves in the ocean. It seemed like the sky was trying to mimic what lay right under it.
Surfing community of Space Coast gets a special treat from nature
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According to a report by WFTV 9, these wave-like cloud formations are Asperitas clouds. These special clouds were spotted by residents of Space Coast, Melbourne, and Cocoa Beach. Asperitas is a phenomenon that is characterized by a wave-like structure in the cloud. These clouds are extremely chaotic and can almost feel like the start of a storm due to their undulating nature.
The varying thickness of such clouds leads to a different amount of sunlight filtering through, thus, often giving them a dramatic effect. The waves are formed on the underside of the clouds, sometimes attaining sharper points. According to Florida Today, Cassie Leahy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourn, said, “They can be very unusual.” In fact, Asperitas clouds are some of the newest cloud formations that have been named by scientists, and they were only classified in 2009. Leahy further added, “They are fairly rare. They can be turbulent and when they angulate, they can look like a wave, like the ocean.”
The Asperitas clouds can be a sign of disturbance in the environment. In fact, these particular clouds indicated that a storm was brewing to the northwest of Melbourne. World Meteorological Organization’s International Cloud Atlas states that Asperitas have localized waves in the cloud base, which makes them look like the ocean. Asperitas clouds are not the only type of unusual clouds that have been witnessed around the sea.
The juxtaposition of oceans and clouds
In April 2023, a piece of news broke out that strange cloud formations were seen above the Indian Ocean. According to Newsweek, unusual yet gorgeous chevron-shaped cloud patterns were photographed above the southern part of the Indian Ocean by an astronaut who had been living at the International Space Station during that time. The picture was from January 8, 2023. These special wave-like clouds were formed due to fluctuations in the air.
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Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds are another type of wave-like cloud that looks exactly like the clouds from Van Gogh’s Starry Night. It is contemplated that the painting might be inspired by these, but that is not a known fact. These clouds have perfect crests and troughs, thus making it looks like a classic wave in the sky. The odds of seeing these rare formations are higher on windy days. Another circumstance that can give rise to these clouds is a temperature difference during the sunrise or sunset.
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