Cloud Formation Question

etemplet

etemplet

Pre-takeoff checklist
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etemplet
As we were tooling along at FL34 I took this picture. With regard to the circle formation that looks kinda like an iceberg or volcano, or castle with a moat around it... what would cause that ? Down drafts, air currents ? Looking at clouds from the top offer a new insight to me. I'm always under them, VFR and bouncing along. I am working on my Instrument rating.

If you can help me get this picture rotated so you don't have to hold your computer size-waze I'd be happy to fix it. Man I hate that. LOL ;)
 

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etemplet said:
As we were tooling along at FL34 I took this picture. With regard to the circle formation that looks kinda like an iceberg or volcano, or castle with a moat around it... what would cause that ? Down drafts, air currents ? Looking at clouds from the top offer a new insight to me. I'm always under them, VFR and bouncing along. I am working on my Instrument rating.
Click to expand...

Interesting things happen when air masses collide. I've just observed it, don't have explanation. Lot's of shear is possible with associated eddy currents. We see a lot of it in the vertical plane here in Denver. I've noticed it more in the horizontal plane out over the prairie.
 
We were headed south from PIT to ATL and the picture was taken looking west. I don't fly commercial much at all but since I am working on my instrument, I am looking at clouds from above and it makes me question what is going on. I was trying to think what would cause this formation. Could it be the point where a rising column of air cools enough to fall a bit?? Or perhaps the stratified layer just didn't fill in to the lower level of the cloud base, not that I look at it.

I'm no weather person.
 
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Oh yes, that is better.

That is cloud circles.
It is just like crop circles but made by half ass aliens that don't want to go all the way to the surface.
 
Much better but I still don't know what causes that.

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A coal fired power plant is on the ground and there is little wind to disperse the hot exhaust rising.
 
kgruber said:
A coal fired power plant is on the ground and there is little wind to disperse the hot exhaust rising.
Click to expand...

If he's at FL340 and the tops are obviously not far below I'd say that's the largest power plant ever! Al Gore will want to know about this.
 
I was thinking about air temperature and convection and such from the bottom. If the layer was flattening/descending from the top, that particular build up was one of the lower ones hence the formation. Certainly not a mystery. LOL
 
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