Tsunami-shaped Clouds in Alabama

[Forgiven]

By Natalie Wolchover | LiveScience.com
December 19, 2011

For a morning, the sky looked like a surfer's dream: A series of huge breaking waves lined the horizon in Birmingham, Ala., on Friday (Dec. 16), their crests surging forward in slow motion. Amazed Alabamans took photos of the clouds and sent them to their local weather station, wondering, "What are these tsunamis in the sky?"

Experts say the clouds were pristine examples of "Kelvin-Helmholtz waves." Whether seen in the sky or in the ocean, this type of turbulence always forms when a fast-moving layer of fluid slides on top of a slower, thicker layer, dragging its surface.

More at: Giant Tsunami-Shaped Clouds Roll Across Alabama Sky - Yahoo! News

[ShilohRose]

Wow! Very cool!

[readyforhome]

Whoa, they do look like waves. Coolness.:)

[WKUHilltopper]

How odd.

[Sean Osborne]

Magnificent cloud formation. Pristine indeed.

Here's another of the same Birmingham, Alabama Kelvin-Helmholtz formation from a different angle and much closer.



Much larger than the airport image, no?

Wow.

[livin_in_the_Son]

Wow! Really cool.

[IamPJ]

Wow....never seen clouds like that!

[WKUHilltopper]

Wow....never seen clouds like that!

Me either.

[myinnuendo999]

I third that, never seen this ever

thanks for sharing

[mattfivefour]

If you Google "Kelvin-Helmholts waves" you will find dozens and dozens of pictures of different cloud formations of this type, some even more bizarre. You will also find the meteorological explanation of how and why these form.

[SteveJM]

These formations have also been named van gogh clouds. Are these cloud formations what Vincent had painted? I would love to see and photograph them.

VanGogh-starry_night_ballance1.jpg

[FaithInChrist]

If you Google "Kelvin-Helmholts waves" you will find dozens and dozens of pictures of different cloud formations of this type, some even more bizarre. You will also find the meteorological explanation of how and why these form.

I'm glad there is an explanation. I was terrified they were HAARP induced...government practicing on the light weight water molecules before they move to the heavy stuff. I sure have never seen a cloud like that before.

I just went to look up Kelvin-Helmholts", WOW, what beautiful pictures!

[Robert]

What? No cheeseburger-shaped clouds?


I'm disappointed.

[readyforhome]

What? No cheeseburger-shaped clouds?


HAHA, yeah I'd pay to see that. Wonder what they would taste like?

[GlennO]

Very COOL .... Thanks for sharing!

ABBA You truly AWESOME!!

[Sean Osborne]

Wonder what they would taste like?

Lick the hood of your car after a good rain to get a taste.