© Bobby Boytot
Apple Valley, California, United States of America
Latitude: 34° 27' 14'' N
Longitude: 117° 13' 58'' W
09 March 2014 0825 (Local Time)
Camera direction: towards SE
Image P/S code: S.4.16
Image I.D.: 4765
CL = 0, CM = 3, CH = /
This picture shows Altocumulus stratiformis perlucidus translucidus cavum. In particular, this is the linear variant of the supplementary feature cavum, resulting from an aircraft dissipation trail through the cloud.
The medium-level cloud, Altocumulus, is in an extensive layer and so the species is stratiformis. It is thin and translucent, hence the variety translucidus, and the gaps between the cloud elements also indicate the variety perlucidus. Running through the cloud is an aircraft dissipation trail, or distrail (sometimes known informally as a “canal cloud”), which has widened over time to form the supplementary feature cavum. The Altocumulus layer consists of water droplets in a supercooled state at a temperature well below 0 °C. The interaction of the aircraft with the cloud has caused supercooled water drops to glaciate and to fall from the cloud as ice particles, hence the central line of ice fallstreaks along the distrail.
Links in the image description will highlight features on the image. Mouse over the features for more detail.