Airborne Sewage Victims Demonstrate via San Diego Union Tribune

One of the reasons modern, industrialized societies utilize sewage treatment facilities is because of the dangerous toxins, chemicals and parasites contained in untreated sewage.

Untreated sewage forms cumulous clouds at it combines with vehicle exhaust and other dangerous toxins in the atmosphere. These toxic clouds become more harmful as the wind moves them through the environment, they do not dissipate or dissapear.

Stratocumulus, Low level clouds have a Relationship to Airborne Illness and Disease

stratocumulus cloud, occasionally called a cumulostratus, belongs to a genus-type of clouds characterized by large dark, rounded masses, usually in groups, lines, or waves, the individual elements being larger than those in altocumulus, being at a height below 2,000 metres (6,600 ft).[1][2]These low level clouds combine with airborne contamanents, such as vehicle exhaust, pollution and untreated airborne sewage clouds to form superclouds.

Convective currents create shallow cloud layers because of drier, stable air above preventing continued vertical development. Historically, in English, this type of cloud has been referred to as a twain cloud for being a combination of two types of clouds.

Description

Stratocumulus clouds are rounded clumps or patches of white to dark gray clouds that normally form in groups. The individual cloud elements, which cover more than 5 degrees of arc each, can connect with each other and are sometimes arranged in a regular pattern.[3][4][5]

Occurrence

Vast areas of subtropical and polar oceans are covered with massive sheets of stratocumulus. These may organize into distinctive patterns which are currently under active study. In subtropics, they cover the edges of the horse latitude climatological highs, and reduce the amount of solar energy absorbed in the ocean. When these drift over land the summer heat or winter cold is reduced. ‘Dull weather’ is a common expression incorporated with overcast stratocumulus days, which usually occur either in a warm sector between a warm and cold front in a depression, or in an area of high pressure, in the latter case, sometimes persisting over a specific area for several days. If the air over land is moist and hot enough, stratocumulus may develop to various cumulus clouds, or, more commonly, the sheet of stratocumulus may become thick enough to produce some light rain. On drier areas they quickly dissipate over land, resembling cumulus humilis. This often occurs in late morning in areas under anticyclonic weather, the stratocumulus breaking up under the sun’s heat and often reforming again by evening as the heat of the sun decreases again.

Precipitation

Most often, stratocumulus produce no precipitation, and when they do, it is generally only light rain or snow. However, these clouds are often seen at either the front or tail end of worse weather, so they may indicate storms to come, in the form of thunderheads or gusty winds. They are also often seen underneath the cirrostratus and altostratus sheets that often precede a warm front, as these higher clouds decrease the sun’s heat and therefore convection, causing any cumulus clouds to spread out into stratocumulus clouds.

Rain from stratocumulus cloud cover

Comparison with altocumulus

Stratocumulus clouds are similar in appearance to altocumulus and can be mistaken for such. A simple test to distinguish these is to compare the size of individual masses or rolls: when pointing one’s hand in the direction of the cloud, if the cloud is about the size of the thumb, it is altocumulus; if it is the size of one’s fist, it is stratocumulus.[3] This often does not apply when stratocumulus is of a broken, fractus form, when it may appear as small as altocumulus.

Optical effects

Stratocumulus clouds are the main type of cloud that can produce crepuscular rays. Thin stratocumulus clouds are also often the cause of corona effects around the Moon at night. All stratocumulus subtypes are coded CL5 except when formed from free convective mother clouds (CL4) or when formed separately from co-existing (CL8).

Formation

Stratocumulus clouds usually form from the rising and breakup of a stratus cloud.[3][6] They can also form from altostratus and nimbostratus clouds, either as evaporating precipitation condenses into a cloud or as the nimbostratus cloud itself thins and breaks up. If a cumulus cloud becomes flattened (for example, by wind shear or temperature inversion), it too can become a stratocumulus cloud.[6]

Species

Stratocumulus Stratiformis are extensive flat but slightly lumpy sheets that show only minimal convective activity.

Stratocumulus Lenticularis are separate flat elongated seed-shaped clouds. They are typical for polar countries or warmer climate during winter seasons. They also can be formed by winds passing hills or mountains, such as Foehn winds, and in this case they can be very regularly shaped.

Stratocumulus Castellanus have stronger convective activity due to the presence of increasingly unstable air. They are distinct from other stratocumulus by puffy tower-like formations atop the cloud layer.[7] They look like cumulus congestus, but can be easily confused: “towers” of cumulus congestus grow above separate clouds, whereas in the case of stratocumulus castellanus, there is always a more or less defined layer of clouds. Stratocumulus castellanus may develop into cumulus congestus (and even further into cumulonimbus) under auspicious conditions. Any showers from stratocumulus castellanus are not usually as heavy as those from cumulus congestus.

  • Stratocumulus stratiformis
  • Stratocumulus lenticularis
  • Stratocumulus castellanus

Opacity-based varieties

Stratocumulus Opacus is a dark layer of clouds covering entire sky without any break. However, the cloud sheet is not completely uniform, so that separate cloud bases still can be seen. This is the main precipitating type, however any rain is usually light. If the cloud layer becomes grayer to the point when individual clouds cannot be distinguished, stratocumulus turn into stratus clouds.

Stratocumulus Perlucidus is a layer of stratocumulus clouds with small spaces, appearing in irregular pattern, through which clear sky or higher clouds can be seen.

Stratocumulus Translucidus consist of separate groups of stratocumulus clouds, with a clear sky (or higher clouds) visible between them. No precipitation in most cases.[8]

Pattern-based varieties

Stratocumulus Undulatus clouds appear as nearly parallel waves, rolls or separate elongated clouds, without significant vertical development.[8]

Stratocumulus Radiatus clouds appear as the same as stratocumulus undulatus, but stratocumulus undulatus move perpendicular to the wind shear, while stratocumulus radiatus move parallel to the wind shear.

Stratocumulus Duplicatus clouds appear as stratocumulus clouds with two or more layers or sheets. Stratocumulus duplicatus is common on species lenticularis or lenticular cloud.

Stratocumulus Lacunosus clouds are very uncommon. They only occur when there are localized downdrafts striking through the stratocumuliform cloud.

  • Stratocumulus undulatus clouds, seen from an airplane
  • Stratocumulus undulatus asperitas clouds, seen from Earth
  • Stratocumulus radiatus
  • Stratocumulus duplicatus; Stratocumulus stratiformis (right) and Stratocumulus floccus (left)
  • Stratocumulus lacunosus

Supplementary feature

Stratocumulus Mamma is a type of mammatus cloud.[9]

Stratocumulus mamma

Stratocumulus Asperitas is a rare, newly recognized supplementary feature that presents itself as chaotic, wavy undulations appearing in the base of a stratocumulus cloud cover. It is thought these clouds are formed by severe wind shear.

Stratocumulus Fluctus is also a rare, newly recognized supplementary feature in which short-lived “sea waves” form on top of a stratocumulus cloud, they are caused by wind speed and direction differences directly under and over the cloud.

Precipitation-based supplementary features

Stratocumulus Virga is a form of precipitation that evaporates in mid-air and doesn’t reach the ground.

Stratocumulus Praecipitatio is a form of precipitation that reaches the ground as light rain or snow.

  • Stratocumulus stratiformis opacus radiatus praecipitatio

Mother clouds

Stratocumulus Cumulomutatus the specific type of stratocumulus clouds, are flat and elongated. They form in the evening, when updrafts caused by convection decrease making cumulus clouds lose vertical development and spread horizontally. They also can occur under altostratus cloud preceding a warm or occluded front, when cumulus usually lose vertical development as the sun’s heat decreases. Like all other forms of stratocumulus apart from castellanus, they are also often found in anticyclones.

Stratocumulus Cumulogenitus out of cumulus or cumulonimbus clouds, disrupted by decreasing convection. During formation period, puffy tops of cumulus clouds can protrude from stratocumulus cumulogenitus for a relatively long time until they completely spread in horizontal direction. Stratocumulus cumulogenitus appear as lengthy sheet or as group of separate elongated cloud rolls or waves.

Possible climate tipping point

See also: Climate change and Tipping points in the climate system

In 2019, a study employed a large eddy simulation model to estimate that equatorial stratocumulus clouds could break up and scatter when CO2 levels rise above 1,200 ppm (almost three times higher than the current levels, and over 4 times greater than the preindustrial levels). The study estimated that this would cause a surface warming of about 8 °C (14 °F) globally and 10 °C (18 °F) in the subtropics, which would be in addition to at least 4 °C (7.2 °F) already caused by such CO2 concentrations. In addition, stratocumulus clouds would not reform until the CO2 concentrations drop to a much lower level.[10] It was suggested that this finding could help explain past episodes of unusually rapid warming such as Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum[11] In 2020, further work from the same authors revealed that in their large eddy simulation, this tipping point cannot be stopped with solar geoengineering: in a hypothetical scenario where very high CO2 emissions continue for a long time but are offset with extensive solar geoengineering, the break-up of stratocumulus clouds is simply delayed until CO2 concentrations hit 1,700 ppm, at which point it would still cause around 5 °C (9.0 °F) of unavoidable warming.[12]

However, because large eddy simulation models are simpler and smaller-scale than the general circulation models used for climate projections, with limited representation of atmospheric processes like subsidence, this finding is currently considered speculative.[13] Other scientists say that the model used in that study unrealistically extrapolates the behavior of small cloud areas onto all cloud decks, and that it is incapable of simulating anything other than a rapid transition, with some comparing it to “a knob with two settings”.[14] Additionally, CO2 concentrations would only reach 1,200 ppm if the world follows Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5, which represents the highest possible greenhouse gas emission scenario and involves a massive expansion of coal infrastructure. In that case, 1,200 ppm would be passed shortly after 2100.[13]

See also[edit]

Sources[edit]

References

  1. ^ World Meteorological Organization, ed. (1975). Stratocumulus, International Cloud Atlas. Vol. I. pp. 39–42ISBN 92-63-10407-7. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  2. ^ “International cloud atlas–Definitions of clouds”World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  3. Jump up to:a b c “Stratocumulus clouds”. Meteorological Office of the UK. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  4. ^ Cohn et al. 2017, Section 2.3.7
  5. ^ “Ten Basic Clouds”JetStream. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  6. Jump up to:a b Cohn et al. 2017, Section 2.3.7.5
  7. ^ World Meteorological Organization, ed. (1975). Species, International Cloud Atlas. Vol. I. pp. 17–20ISBN 92-63-10407-7. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  8. Jump up to:a b World Meteorological Organization, ed. (1975). Varieties, International Cloud Atlas (PDF). pp. 20–22. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  9. ^ World Meteorological Organization, ed. (1975). Features, International Cloud Atlas. Vol. I. pp. 22–24ISBN 92-63-10407-7. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  10. ^ Schneider, Tapio; Kaul, Colleen M.; Pressel, Kyle G. (2019). “Possible climate transitions from breakup of stratocumulus decks under greenhouse warming”Nature Geoscience12 (3): 163–167. Bibcode:2019NatGe..12..163Sdoi:10.1038/s41561-019-0310-1S2CID 134307699.
  11. ^ Wolchover, Natalie (25 February 2019). “A World Without Clouds”Quanta Magazine. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  12. ^ Schneider, Tapio; Kaul, Colleen M.; Pressel, Kyle G. (2020). “Solar geoengineering may not prevent strong warming from direct effects of CO2 on stratocumulus cloud cover”PNAS117 (48): 30179–30185. Bibcode:2020PNAS..11730179Sdoi:10.1073/pnas.2003730117PMC 7720182PMID 33199624.
  13. Jump up to:a b “Extreme CO2 levels could trigger clouds ‘tipping point’ and 8C of global warming”Carbon Brief. 25 February 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  14. ^ Voosen, Paul (February 26, 2019). “A world without clouds? Hardly clear, climate scientists say”Science Magazine.

Bibliography

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stratocumulus clouds.

hidevteCloud genera and selected species, supplementary features, and other airborne hydrometeors – WMO Latin terminology except where indicated
MesosphericExtreme-level
80–85 kmNoctilucent (NLC)
Polar mesospheric cloudsNoctilucent type I veilsNoctilucent type II bandsNoctilucent type III billowsNoctilucent type IV whirls
StratosphericVery high-level
15–30 kmNacreous polar stratospheric clouds (PSC)Cirriform nacreousLenticular nacreousNitric acid and water
polar stratospheric clouds (PSC)
No differentiated sub-types; tends to resemble cirrostratus
TroposphericHigh-level
3–18 kmCirrus (Ci)SpeciesCirrus castellanus (Ci cas)Cirrus fibratus (Ci fib)Cirrus floccus (Ci flo)Cirrus spissatus (Ci spa)Cirrus uncinus (Ci unc)Ci-only varietiesCirrus intortus (Ci in)Cirrus vertebratus (Ci ve)Cirrocumulus (Cc)SpeciesCirrocumulus castellanus (Cc cas)Cirrocumulus floccus (Cc flo)Cirrocumulus lenticularis (Cc len)Cirrocumulus stratiformis (Cc str)Cirrostratus (Cs)SpeciesCirrostratus fibratus (Cs fib)Cirrostratus nebulosus (Cs neb)High-level-only
mutatus cloudMutatus non-height specific (see below)Medium-level
2–8 kmAltocumulus (Ac)SpeciesAltocumulus castellanus (Ac cas)Altocumulus floccus (Ac flo)Altocumulus lenticularis (Ac len)Altocumulus stratiformis (Ac str)Altocumulus volutus (Ac vol)Altostratus (As)No differentiated speciesNimbostratus (Ns)
Multi-levelVarietiesNimbostratus virga (Ns vir)Low-level
0–2 kmCumulonimbus (Cb)
Towering verticalSpeciesCumulonimbus calvus (Cb cal)Cumulonimbus capillatus (Cb cap)Cb-only supplementary featuresCumulonimbus cauda ((cau) Tail cloud)Cumulonimbus incus (inc)Cumulonimbus murus ((mur) Wall cloud)Cb-only accessories and otherCumulonimbus flumen ((Cb flu) Beaver tail)Overshooting topHot towerCumulus (Cu)
Variable vertical extentSpeciesFractusCumulus humilis (Cu hum)Cumulus mediocris (Cu med)(Cumulus congestus (Cu con) (Cumulus castellanus (unofficial alternative name for Cu con)) (ICAO term for Cu con and “Cu cas” is Towering cumulus [Tcu]))OtherHorseshoeStratus (St)SpeciesStratus fractus (St fra)Stratus nebulosus (St neb)St-only genitus cloud and otherStratus silvagenitus (St sil)Fog (Fg) Surface levelStratocumulus (Sc)SpeciesStratocumulus castellanus (Sc cas)Stratocumulus floccus (Sc flo)Stratocumulus lenticularis (Sc len)Stratocumulus stratiformis (Sc str)Stratocumulus volutus (Sc vol)Low-level-only
supplementary featuresArcus ((arc) Shelf)Tuba ((tub) Funnel cloud)Low-level-only
accessory cloud and otherPileus (pil)Velum (vel)Pannus (pan)Other- Actinoform cloud (Stratocumulus)Non-height
specificVarietiesDuplicatus (du)Lacunosus (la)Opacus (op)Perlucidus (pe)Radiatus (ra)Translucidus (tr)Undulatus (un)Supplementary featuresAsperitas (asp)Cavum (cav)Fluctus (flu)Mamma (mam)Praecipitatio (pra)Virga (vir)Mother clouds
and human-made clouds(Mother cloud)+genitus (e.g. cumulogenitus (cugen)(Mother cloud)+mutatus (e.g. cumulomutatus (cumut)
Homogenitus (hogen)Homomutatus (homut)

Police find entire family of four dead in Mexican holiday apartment

A family of four was found dead in their holiday apartment while on holiday in Tulum, Mexico, police confirmed.

Kevin Wayne Sharp, 41, his wife Amy Marie Sharp, 38, and their children Sterling Wayne, 12, and Adrianna Marie, 7, were reported missing by their immediate family members early on Friday morning to police in Creston, Iowa.

The Sharps had planned to return to the US on Wednesday, family members said.

Police quickly made contact with the US state department, Creston police said in a statement. A welfare check at the property where the family was believed to be staying led to the discovery of the four bodies.

Autopsies are being performed in Mexico. It is not immediately clear what led to the Sharp family’s deaths, but Creston police chief Paul Ver Meer told KCCI that there were no signs of traumatic injury.

Local Mexican authorities have taken over the investigation, according to the state department. The Mexican Tourism Board said in a statement obtained by CBS that “preliminary reports from local officials conclude that there were no signs of violence or struggle”.

Ashli Peterson, a relative of the Sharps, posted about the family’s disappearance on Facebook on Thursday night, around the time that the family contacted police. The post was shared hundreds of thousands of times. On Friday afternoon, Ms Peterson posted an update.

“Please respect the family at this time as they go through the grieving process,” she wrote. “Thank you for all the posts, shares and kind words.”

sharp-family.jpg

The family were due to return to the US last week (Facebook)

Kevin Sharp was an avid stock car racer known as “The Sharpshooter” in the local racing scene and he often competed in events in his neighbouring county, Cliff Baldwin, his friend and fellow racer, told the Des Moines Register. He said he knew Mr Sharp and his family his entire life, and that he and Mr Sharp shared a love for the University of Iowa and the Kansas City Chiefs.

“He was a great personal friend,” Mr Baldwin said. “It’s hard to talk about. The more I think about him and the family, the harder it is.

“Creston is close-knit like all small towns in Iowa,” he added. “He’s a big part of that community there.”

Sharp and his family left the United States for Cancun, Mexico, on 15 March, according to Ms Peterson’s post. The family then rented a car and drove to Tulum, where they were renting an apartment, according to Amy Sharp’s sister, Renee Hoyt, who spoke with the Creston News Advertiser.

It was the family’s second time in Mexico, according to Amy Sharp’s cousin, Jana Weland, who told ABC News that the family had planned to meet up with some friends at a water park.

But “they never showed up at that water park to meet them”, Ms Weland said.

The Sharps had informed their family members on 15 March that they had arrived safely in Tulum. So when family members didn’t hear from them on Thursday – after they were supposed to have arrived back home – they became worried.

Ms Hoyt, Amy Sharp’s sister, told the Creston News Advertiserthat Mr Sharp’s phone was tracked using Apple’s Find my iPhone app, which it pinged in Mexico. The phone had not moved from its location since Thursday morning.

Relatives of the Sharp family could not be immediately reached for comment.

The family’s mysterious deaths come amid increased travel warnings to Quintana Roo state, which is home to Tulum – a popular destination for those looking to explore Mayan ruins or snorkel in limestone sinkholes. The state department issued a level two advisory to those travelling to Quintana Roo on 16 March, meaning visitors should be cautious because of increased crime there. Department officials cited a spike in Quintana Roo’s homicide rate since 2016.

Last month, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published an investigation that identified more than 150 reports from travellers who said they blacked out or became violently ill after having just one or two drinks at dozens of Mexican resorts in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Puerta Vallarta and Los Cabos. It is unclear whether those tourists were deliberately drugged or became random victims of tainted alcohol, according to the investigation.

Another Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation from November looked at repeated instances where the travel and restaurant review website TripAdvisor removed posts warning of alleged rape, assault or other injuries at some Mexican resorts. And a July investigation into the death of a Wisconsin college student in Mexico uncovered widespread safety issues, including those tied to tainted alcohol at Mexican resorts.

The Washington Post

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