© Marcin Kocybik

Over southwest Bulgaria

Latitude: 41° 45' 50'' N

Longitude: 23° 15' 49'' E

15 August 2015 1834 (Local Time)
Camera direction: towards SE

Image P/S code: P.16.10.2

Image I.D.: 5487

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  Cumulonimbus capillatus incus mamma

  This photograph, taken from 11 300 m, shows the top of an isolated Cumulonimbus cloud. As the top is flattened and fibrous, we are seeing the species capillatus. The cloud has flattened into an anvil shape(1) at the tropopause, indicating the supplementary feature incus, but beyond, the white cloud is higher than the incus, suggesting the vigorous convection is overshooting the tropopause. Directly under the anvil, we see the udder-like protuberances of the supplementary feature mamma. Much lower in the atmosphere are numerous small Cumulus mediocris clouds.

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  © Marcin Kocybik
  Over southwest Bulgaria
  Latitude: 41° 45' 50'' N
  Longitude: 23° 15' 49'' E
  15 August 2015 1834 (Local Time)
  
  
  Camera direction: towards SE
  Image P/S code: P.16.10.2
  Image I.D.: 5487
• 

  The 1200 UTC sounding from Sofia, Bulgaria (WMO 15614), about 100 km north of this aerial photograph, shows a very unstable atmosphere, with moisture in the levels between 700 and 500 hPa. The tropopause height is approximately 200 hPa (12 200 m).

  © University of Wyoming