Atmospheric gravity waves are like the ripples that spread across a pond after a stone is dropped, except they move through air instead of water. When air is pushed upward by mountains, storms, or weather fronts into a stable layer of the atmosphere, gravity pulls it back down.
Volutus clouds, commonly known as roll clouds, are a type of Arcus Cloud. They are rare, low-level cloud formations characterized by their distinctive tube-like shape and horizontal orientation. They typically appear detached from other cloud systems and exhibit a rolling motion along a horizontal axis.
Lenticular clouds are smooth, lens-shaped formations that develop when stable, moist air flows over mountain ranges or obstacles. They are classified within the altocumulus or cirrocumulus genera
Undulatus clouds are a recognised cloud variety characterised by wave-like patterns across the sky. The term undulatus is Latin for “wavy,” reflecting the repeating bands or ripples these clouds display. They are observed within multiple cloud genera, including Altocumulus, Stratocumulus, and Cirrocumulus.
Stratocumulus are low, clustered, lumpy cloud layers that bridge the gap between stratus and cumulus. They form via shallow convection and mixing. Their name arose from 19th- and 20th-century cloud taxonomy, and they are familiar in weather forecasts and landscape art.
Altocumulus are mid-level, patchy, somewhat convective clouds forming in moist layers with slight instability. They often show patterns or grouping. Their name originated in the 19th-century expansion of cloud classification, though clouds of this sort were long observed in art and literature.
Cirrocumulus are small, finely textured clouds of ice crystals in a high layer, appearing as ripples or patchwork. They form under weak vertical motion. The term was formalised in 19th-century cloud atlases, and the “mackerel sky” phrase has long circulated in folk weather lore.
