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Joined: Sep 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
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Now I've heard of the mackerel sky and am pretty sure I know how to identify such clouds. But in looking up sleet on a weather glossary site, I came across a cloud formation of which I'd never read a description. If you didn't know this one, you might enjoy adding it to your list:
MAMMATOCUMULUS
An obsolete term for cumulonimbus mammatus, it is a portion of a cumulonimbus cloud that appears as a pouch or udder on the under surface of the cloud.
I'll come back in a sec and post the url, which I forgot to earmark...
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 36
newbie
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newbie
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 36 |
I saw Udders in the Sky & thought, '...and the cow jumped over the moon.'
Ron.
Ron.
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
and i thought --Ahh! The land of MILK and honey!
That WW, its a nice site...
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
Jumping cows and milk & honey, oh, my! Very funny.
I like the site, too, of troy, and have added it to my favorites since the weather is so fascinating. Sublimnation was a point of interest about, oh, two years ago--but I read on this weather site this morning that crystallization is the opposite of sublimnation, which came as a surprise. I hadn't realized all these years that in crystallization gases go from gaseous state to solid state, and bypass the liquid state. Live and learn.
*Plural note: gases and gasses are both acceptable in MW. In other-than-American English, is one preferred over the other?
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 79
journeyman
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journeyman
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 79 |
This is actually my own field (not meteorology, but thermodynamics).
On a phase diagram for water, the vapour-solid equilibrium line is called the "frost line" - the transition from solid to vapour phase is called sublimation.
Unfortunately thermodynamics lacks a standardised term for the opposite transition, from vapour to solid. "Crystallisation" describes a more general phenomenon.
Terms in use include "sublimation", "reverse sublimation" and "deposition".
I usually see (and use) "gases", but I don't know whether "gasses" is acceptable in European English, or whether it is a US variant.
Another useful meteorology term (for pilots, at least) is "virga" - rain or snow that does not reach the ground (it meets a layer of dry air on the way down and evaporates/sublimates). "Virga" is a Latin word for "branch".
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Joined: Mar 2000
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,027 |
in crystallization gases go from gaseous state to solid state, and bypass the liquid state
This is not entirely correct: crystallization can also occur from the liquid state. The term covers any transformation from a disordered array of molecules into an ordered one.
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Why do the NASA guys say they are searching for evidence of "liquid water" on Mars?
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Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Cause solid water and gaseous water are neither very important in the support of life.
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
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wsieber, I'm definitely out of my depth here, but love reading about changes in states. I do understand, as hibernicus pointed out, that what we have here is a problem in terminology. However, I thought it most interesting to read on the weather definition site posted above that the term crytallization could mean the opposite of sublimnation. You have added even more information of interest. Would it be correct to expect:
1. Crystallization can sometimes occur when gases go from gaseous state to solid state;
2. Crystallization can sometimes occur when liquids pass to solid state.
This may seem oh-so-obvious to those of you in the field, but I'm just trying to make sure I understand correctly.
Faldage, your comment, as usual, made me laugh!
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