NASA Terra discovered a "peculiar" cloud over the Caspian Sea. The cloud provides an intriguing case study of how such atmospheric phenomena can be found by Earth-observing satellites.

According to Space.com, researchers watched the cloud as it approached land and eventually dissipated to learn more about how tiny stratocumulus features like this one emerge.

Peculiar Cloud Over the Caspian
(Photo : NASA)
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this view on the morning of May 28. The lone cloud had well-defined edges resembling something from a cartoon, making it stand out from the more typical diffuse and dispersed cloud cover.

NASA Terra Satellite Finds Odd Clouds Over Caspian Sea

NASA is constantly looking for new findings, but if something moves or appears unusual, the team could become upset briefly. It is not the case with the discovery in question, which, weird as it may be, does not seem to be concerning.

The space agency noticed the peculiar cloud over the Caspian Sea in the morning and hugging Makhachkala in the afternoon as it traveled northwest of Russia along the low Caucasian Plain. The cloud doesn't depict any eccentric characters, but there are a few things that are fascinating.

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The Medium Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer had caught the unusual cloud's border and thickness (MODIS). Scientist Bastian van Dydenhoven, who specializes in the atmosphere, said per Wire Science Canada: "These sharp edges often form when the air coming from the land is hot and dry, and thus bumps into moist air over the ocean. This way, those odd edges are formed."

Odd Clouds Happen Over Several Factors

Even though the Caspian Sea is the largest inland body of water in the world, it is unusual to see this type of cloud over Eastern Europe rather than in an ocean region. Several nations border the sea, including Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.

"You often see this [kind of cloud] off the west coast of Africa, but on very large scales," added van Diedenhoven per Galaxy Reporters.

He proposed that the cloud might have developed when warmer, drier air, presumably from the Balkans (the region surrounding Greece), collided with colder, more humid air above the Caspian Sea.

The cloud started to disintegrate in the hours following its capture in the late morning above the Caspian. By late afternoon, it had crossed the sea to the Russian shore near Makhachkala at the base of the Caucasus Mountains, moving to the northwest. The cloud passed over land and eventually vanished entirely.

The beautiful vistas of the clouds underneath weather satellites orbiting our globe have not always been captured. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has published a graphic showing how the clouds communicated during a weekend. Check it out below.

About Terra Satellite

According to Devdiscourse, Terra is the flagship of the NASA Earth Observing system with a mission to comprehend how Earth is changing and affects the lives of those living on it. The satellite's five sensors all conduct concurrent observations. But MODIS tracks a larger range of earthly vital signs than any other Terra sensor.

With its launch in December 1999 and ongoing operations as it nears its 25th month in orbit, Terra is an extraordinarily long-running Earth observation project.

Space.com said long-term missions like Terra could enable measurement consistency to monitor changes in the Earth's environment using the same sensors. Despite this, NASA and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) launch new satellites to collect various measurements and act as a backup for earlier missions.

NASA's science and Earth science chief, Katherine Calvin, stated earlier in the year that the organization is working on a more thorough strategy to upgrade its fleet of older satellites, like Terra. Aqua (launched in 2002) and Aura (2004) are two further instances of previous operating missions.

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