#2334 "Langmuir Sunset"

This was a memorable sunset. It illustrated a lot of meteorology that is very important - at least to me. It was also very colourful. That sunset is now locked in oils.

Langmuir streets have been well studied for their occurrence in bodies of water. The atmosphere is just an ocean of air. It surprises me that they remain virtually unknown and unstudied in the world of meteorology. The processes in the gaseous fluids are comparable if not identical to those in the ocean. Langmuir streets exhibit the following.

• There is a stable layer (tropopause among many others). 
• There is a current in the fluid (jet stream among many others). 
• There is a material to make the primary current and secondary circulations visible (water vapour and cloud). 
• Helical circulations paralleling this current creates areas of updraft and downdraft. 
• The natural patterns are beautiful whether in the water or in the sunset sky. 

Langmuir streets are common in the moisture of the warm conveyor belt as witnessed in this sunset. Langmuir streets also comprise snowsquall bands aided by the instability of cold air passing over the warm waters of the Great Lakes for example. Clouds streets of cumulus are also shaped by these Langmuir processes.

These were three obvious Langmuir streets flowing toward a subtle cirrus deformation zone in the sunset sky of Sunday February 23rd, 2020. The moisture in the Langmuir streets was thickest in the middle. The moisture appeared to spread equally outward in both directions from their central axis. I believe that one current in a fluid can generate multiple helical circulations even though the circulations will be weaker further away from the energy source of the primary flow and energy source.

The leading edge of the Langmuir moisture spread laterally the most along the deformation zone. Further upstream the moisture stayed closer to the central axis of the Langmuir streets. I watched these clouds transform over the course of the sunset. Fascinating. Thank you Irving Langmuir (1881-1957).

It is typical to have most of the moisture associated with a warm conveyor belt directed toward the col - which is along the central axis of the warm conveyor belt. There was not yet a lot of moisture in this flow which allowed the Langmuir streets to shine. The companion vortices straddling this particular warm conveyor belt were not strong enough to create the "delta void" in which case the moisture is swirled away from the deformation zone and unable to reach the col.

A thin band of cirrus revealed the intersection of moisture with the three dimensional deformation skin - almost directly overhead. Another and thicker layer of moisture was approaching on the western horizon. This cloud looked like altostratus to me. Further to the west I suspect the the cloud was even thicker and capable of producing snow. Nimbostratus was coming at us. The atmosphere vectorially adds the circulations of the warm conveyor belt, the Langmuir Streets and the deformation zone to shape the clouds. The atmosphere sculpts this moisture easily and without any hesitation or detailed thought processes. It takes a bit longer for an artist looking up at the sky and asking why? Every line has a story to tell.

A jet was headed to Europe delivering the passengers to the dawn of a new day while still bathed in the sun of the current day at those high altitudes. The contrail flared outward dramatically immediately behind the jet. Why? Was the jet accelerating? Trumpeter swans were landing in to spend the night and perhaps a few days of "R and R" in the open water of Jim Day Rapids. This Singleton property is a sanctuary for everything.

For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you.