Encore - Mammatus Clouds Above Edinburgh, Scotland
March 11, 2017
Today and every Saturday Earth Science Picture of the Day invites you to rediscover favorites from the past. Saturday posts feature an EPOD that was chosen by viewers like you in our monthly Viewers' Choice polls. Join us as we look back at these intriguing and captivating images.
Photographer: Alfred Herbel
Summary Author: Alfred Herbel; Jim Foster
The 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.