They explain the mystery of an unusual cloud that always appears in the same place

Published:

29 Oct 2024 14:39 GMT

NASA took a satellite photograph of the cloud, called Taieri Pet, in which you can see its peculiar shape.

An unusual cloud often appears between the towns of Middlemarch and Hyde, in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand, attracting the attention of scientists, who have finally managed to explain the phenomenon.

In September, NASA took a satellite photograph of the cloudcall Taieri Pet, in which you can see its peculiar shape.

Specialists stated that the lenticular cloud is a product of the particular meteorological patterns and topography of the Asian country. This type of clouds They form when the prevailing winds encounter a geographical barrierfor example, a mountain range, so the wind flow is forced to flow up and over the obstacle creating a kind of wave in the atmosphere.

“The air cools at the crest of the wave and the water vapor it contains condenses, forming clouds. Conversely, the descending air causes heating and evaporation,” NASA said.

The cloud is almost motionless, which is because it forms on the crest of this wave, said meteorologist John Law of New Zealand’s MetService. The expert noted that Taieri Pet can be used as a “indicator of strong winds high in the atmosphere“, meaning that the conditions in and around these types of clouds They are dangerous for aircraftwhich are at risk of encountering vertical flows, severe turbulence and icing.