Mammatus Clouds Above Edinburgh, Scotland

June 20, 2011

Mammatus over edinburgh 
Photographer: Alfred Herbel
Summary Author: Alfred Herbel; Jim Foster

June 2011 Earth Science Picture of the Day Viewer's ChoiceThe photo above showing eerie-looking mammatus clouds over Edinburgh, Scotland was captured in May of 2010. In spite of the gloominess of the scene, no severe weather was observed. A few hundred years back, such a sight would surely stir both serfs and sires alike. Though these clouds get our fast attention today, we know that they don’t portend plague or defeat in battle. They’re most often seen during turbulent weather conditions as downdrafts of cool air push against the cloud deck (from above), resulting in odd appearing cloud pouches. Photo taken about 6 p.m. May 27, 2010.

Photo Details: Camera Maker: Nikon; Camera Model: NikonE8800; Focal Length: 15.0mm; Aperture: f/3.3; Exposure Time: 1/920 sec; ISO equiv: 100.