Unusual phenomena in the atmosphere presentation. Atmospheric phenomena - classification and description in

I decided to write this article after I observed an interesting atmospheric optical effect in the early morning - almost any light source threw a light column into the air. The sky was just filled with pillars of light! Pretty fantastic, I tell you, the picture. So it became interesting to me what other unusual and interesting atmospheric effects are. We look at the selection and share in the comments who was lucky enough to observe something unusual in the sky.

Let's start with what I myself observed in the morning - with Light pillars.

Light pillars can be formed from both natural light sources (moon, sun) and artificial ones (spotlights, street lamps, etc.). The solution to the mystery of their occurrence lies in the formation in the air of the smallest flat ice crystals, from which light is reflected from the source. Such crystals are formed, as a rule, at high altitudes, but at low temperatures they can also form in lower layers of the atmosphere. For this reason, light pillars are more likely to be observed on frosty days. When there are a lot of such pillars, it looks pretty impressive. So it seems that you raise your head up and see a flying saucer, from which these light columns break out. It’s a pity I didn’t have a camera with me, I have to upload photos from the Internet.

Halo- this phenomenon is also associated with the appearance of ice crystals in the atmosphere.

To some extent, the halo can be compared with rainbow- in both cases, the appearance of an unusual optical effect is associated with the decomposition of light into components (dispersion). But in the case of a rainbow, the decomposition of light occurs in water droplets. And since the drops do not differ in variety, then the rainbows, in general, are quite similar to each other. Another thing is halo. Since ice crystals can be of various shapes and sizes and move in space different ways- fall, soar, circle, then there are quite a few types of halo (about a hundred), and you can observe it not in a certain position, like a rainbow - standing with your back to the sun, but in different parts of the sky. But most often, halos are a circle of light, in the center of which is the sun.

A special case of a halo is parhelion, or, as it is also called, a false sun. This interesting atmospheric phenomenon looks like light spots that look like the sun (well, or the moon).

Saint Elmo's fire.

Pretty intriguing name, isn't it. Yes, and it looks unusual - like luminous tassels or lights on the spiers and points of tall buildings. In the old days, this phenomenon could often be observed by sailors at the ends of the masts. It is not surprising that the appearance of this atmospheric phenomenon was associated with the manifestation of mystical or religious forces. However, the mystery of this natural phenomenon has long been solved. The "blame" for everything is the corona discharge, which occurs when the electric field strength in the atmosphere is high. Therefore, often the fires of St. Elmo are observed during a thunderstorm.

They are also observed during snowstorms or sandstorms, when particles moving at high speed electrify the atmosphere.

A very unusual optical effect that many photographers are chasing - green beam- a flash of green above the edge of the sun at the moment when it is hiding behind the horizon or is about to appear.

All it takes to see it is clear sky, clear air, open space (for example, the sea) and an irresistible desire to catch this short moment. It is explained by the decomposition and refraction of the rays of the solar spectrum, which in more appear on the horizon. Refraction (refraction) increases from red to violet. From red to violet, the scattering of rays in the atmosphere also increases. Therefore, at sunset, we often observe a red sun - the rest of the spectrum is scattered. Therefore, when the sun hides behind the edge of the horizon, the less refracted rays of the red part of the spectrum are primarily hidden from view. And if the atmosphere is clean and calm enough, then for a short moment the green part of the spectrum becomes visible. Why green and not violet, you say, because the violet refraction, following the above logic, should appear to a greater extent? This is how it actually happens. But the blue-violet part of the spectrum is scattered before reaching the observer. Therefore, we can observe a certain "golden mean" - a green beam.

Crowns. You could easily observe them yourself in foggy weather. These are rainbow circles around light sources - lanterns, car headlights.

Crowns can also be observed around natural light sources (sun, moon), when they are covered with a light veil of clouds. The most beautiful crowns are formed when clouds or fog consist of small droplets of the same size. As the drops increase, the size of the rainbow rings decreases until they disappear completely. This can serve as a harbinger of worse weather. The appearance of crowns is explained by the diffraction of light.

A special case of crowns is Gloria.

Also explained by the diffraction of light. A very interesting optical effect, but it can only be observed at a fairly high altitude, for example, in the mountains. Unlike crowns, gloria is formed at a point opposite to the light source at the level of the observer. And since there is an observer on the line “light source - gloria” who casts a shadow, the gloria is actually a rainbow halo around the shadow of the observer. In the East, this optical phenomenon is called the Light of the Buddha.

biconvex clouds(lenticular mammatus) - can take the form of bags or plates hanging in the sky.

An unprepared observer can easily mistake this atmospheric phenomenon for an invasion of aliens.

Of course, they have nothing to do with aliens, but this does not make biconvex clouds any less beautiful and fascinating. These clouds form between two layers of air, or where the airflow hits an obstacle, such as the top of a mountain.

Northern(or, it would be more correct to call it, polar) shine Everyone knows about him, but not many have seen him.

They arise as a result of the interaction of a stream of charged particles moving from outer space (the so-called solar wind) with the magnetic field of the planet. It was not for nothing that I wrote "planets" and not "Earths", because Auroras have also been recorded on other planets. solar system. You can observe the aurora borealis mainly in high latitudes, and in both hemispheres (therefore, it is more correct to call this phenomenon not “aurora borealis”, but “aurora borealis”). But during periods of significant solar activity, the geography of places where you can observe this amazing spectacle can expand significantly.

Mirage. I bet that almost everyone has experienced this phenomenon. But, as it often happens, in everyday bustle and worries, we do not notice the beauty and unusual manifestations that nature shows us.

Remember, after all, you have probably seen more than once in hot weather over the very surface of the heated asphalt flowing streams, as if a swift stream cuts the road at a short distance? That's what it is simplest form mirage. In more beautiful cases, you can observe objects that are hidden behind the horizon. This happens because light propagates in a straight line only in a homogeneous medium. When the air located near the heated surface heats up, it becomes inhomogeneous, and the propagation of light rays in such an air medium becomes curvilinear, an imaginary, non-existent in this place image. Thus, it becomes possible, as it were, to look beyond the horizon.

There are several types of mirages, but the most unusual, of course, is Fata Morgana(from the Italian fata Morgana - the fairy Morgana, who, according to legend, lived on seabed and lured unlucky sea travelers with the help of mirages into their networks).

This mirage is a collection of several different mirages. Those who observe it can see various objects reflected many times and with various distortions.

This is far from full list unusual and amazing natural phenomena. The gaseous shell of the Earth - the atmosphere - is a kind of lens of the planet. Moreover, it is heterogeneous - denser at the surface and more rarefied in the upper layers, somewhere more heated, somewhere less, somewhere dry, and somewhere saturated with moisture. All this makes the earth's atmosphere a source of phenomena striking in their beauty and mystery. And we just have to be just attentive and not turn away when nature wants to show us something amazing.

Good luck with your experiments and observations!

Presentation on the topic "20 most unusual natural phenomena" in geography in powerpoint format. This presentation for schoolchildren describes unusual phenomena found in nature, such as lunar rainbows, mirages, halos, northern lights, and others. All phenomena are illustrated in the work. Presentation author: Kiseleva L. A.

Fragments from the presentation

moon rainbow

We are almost used to the usual rainbow. A lunar rainbow is much rarer than a rainbow seen in daylight. A lunar rainbow can only appear in places with high humidity and only when the moon is almost full. Pictured is a moonlit rainbow at Cumberland Falls in Kentucky.

Mirages

Halo

Usually halos occur at high humidity or severe frost - before the halo was considered a phenomenon from above, and people expected something unusual.

Belt of Venus

An interesting optical phenomenon that occurs when the atmosphere is dusty is an unusual "belt" between the sky and the horizon.

pearl clouds

Unusually high clouds (about 10-12 km), becoming visible at sunset.

Northern lights

Appears when high-energy elementary particles collide with the Earth's ionosphere.

colored moon

When the atmosphere is dusty, high humidity, or for other reasons, the Moon sometimes looks colored. The red moon is especially unusual.

biconvex clouds

An extremely rare phenomenon that appears mainly before a hurricane. Opened just 30 years ago. Also called Mammatus clouds.

Saint Elmo's fire

A fairly common phenomenon caused by increased electric field strength before a thunderstorm, during a thunderstorm, and immediately after. The first witnesses of this phenomenon were sailors who observed the fires of St. Elmo on masts and other vertical pointed objects.

Fire whirlwinds

often formed during fires - they can also occur over burning haystacks.

Mushroom clouds.

They also form over places with elevated temperatures - over forest fires, for example.

Light poles.

The nature of these phenomena is similar to the conditions that cause the appearance of a halo.

diamond dust

Frozen water droplets that scatter the light of the sun.

Fish, frog and other rains.

One of the hypotheses explaining the appearance of such rains is a tornado that sucks out nearby water bodies and carries their contents over long distances.

Virga.

The phenomenon that occurs when falling out ice crystals from clouds that do not reach the surface of the earth, evaporating along the way.

Bora

Hurricane winds with many names. Occur when air masses move from the upper layers to the lower ones.

Fire rainbow.

Occurs when the sun's rays pass through high clouds.

Green beam.

An extremely rare phenomenon that occurs at sunset or sunrise.

Fireball.

There are many hypotheses explaining the origin of these phenomena, but none has yet been proven.

Optical flares and jets

Discovered only recently due to their short existence (less than a second). Occurs when hurricanes appear.

The polar (northern) lights are one of the most beautiful optical phenomena in the world, which can be observed exclusively at high latitudes, not far from the poles. Usually auroras are bluish-white, and only in exceptional cases can multicolored auroras be observed. Auroras arise as a result of the bombardment of the upper atmosphere by charged particles moving towards the Earth along the geomagnetic field lines from the region of near-Earth outer space. The northern lights can last from several hours to several days and are striking in their extraordinary beauty.

Any lightning is an electric current, which, depending on the conditions, can take various forms. Particularly amazing are ball lightning, which used to be called fireballs. The nature of the occurrence of ball lightning is still not exactly known. Sometimes they were observed even inside houses and planes. The behavior of ball lightning has also not been studied. Ball lightning can be fiery red, orange or yellow and float in the air for a few seconds until it disappears. Lightning is always accompanied by thunder and a bright flash of light and is most often observed during a thunderstorm. Each of us has repeatedly seen the usual, so-called linear lightning. But ball lightning is a rather rare phenomenon. In nature, for about a thousand ordinary, linear lightning, there are only 2-3 ball lightning.

We are all used to seeing an ordinary moon, but sometimes when the atmosphere is dusty, high humidity, or for other reasons, the moon looks painted in different colors. The blue and red moons are especially unusual. The blue moon is such a rare natural phenomenon that the English even have a saying "once upon a blue moon", which means about the same as ours "after rain on Thursday." The blue moon appears from the ashes and burning. For example, when forests burned in Canada, the moon was blue for a whole week.

"Fiery" rain (star rain) In fact, not stars fall from the sky, but meteorites, which, entering the earth's atmosphere, heat up and burn out. In this case, a flash of light occurs, which can be seen for quite a long distance from the surface of the earth. Most often, a meteor shower of high intensity (up to a thousand meteors per hour) is called a stellar or meteor shower. A meteor shower consists of meteors that burn up in the atmosphere and do not reach the ground, and a meteor shower consists of meteorites that fall to the ground. Previously, they did not distinguish the first from the second, and both of these phenomena were called "rain of fire." Interesting fact: every year from fragments of meteorites and cosmic dust, the mass of the Earth increases by an average of 5 million tons.

Despite their prevalence, mirages always evoke an almost mystical sense of wonder. We all know the reason for the appearance of most mirages - superheated air changes its optical properties, causing light inhomogeneities called mirages. Mirage is a phenomenon long explained by science, but continues to amaze the imagination of people. The optical effect is based on a special distribution of air density along the vertical. Under certain conditions, this leads to the appearance of virtual images near the horizon. However, you instantly forget all these boring explanations when you yourself become a witness of a miracle that is born before your eyes.

Lenticular mammatus is a rare meteorological phenomenon. This photo was taken in Joplin, Missouri. Early in the morning, the people of Joplin could watch these crazy clouds in the sky. Clouds, called "lenticular mammatus", are quite rare. The last such occurrence was recorded in this area about 30 years ago.

St. Elmo's fires are a very beautiful and unusual natural phenomenon. The first witnesses of this phenomenon were sailors who observed the fires of St. Elmo on masts and other vertical pointed objects. These are very beautiful luminous balls that appear from a large electric field strength, for example, during a thunderstorm, snowstorm or strong storm. Sometimes it happened that the Fires of St. Elmo disabled electrical and radio devices.

If you kindle a fire in the mountains at night under low clouds, your shadow will appear on the clouds and around your head you will have a luminous halo. This phenomenon is called Gloria. Gloria is an optical phenomenon that is observed on clouds located directly in front of the observer or below him, at a point directly opposite the light source. In China, gloria is called the "light of the Buddha." A colored halo always surrounds the shadow of the observer, which was often interpreted as the degree of his enlightenment (closeness to the Buddha and other deities).
The circumhorizontal arc, which is called a fiery rainbow because of its resemblance to a flame, was created by ice, not fire. For a fiery rainbow to occur, the Sun must rise above 58 degrees above the horizon and there must be cirrus clouds in the sky. In addition, the many flat, hexagonal ice crystals that make up cirrus clouds must be arranged horizontally to refract sunlight like one giant prism. Therefore, a fiery rainbow can be seen very rarely, but such a phenomenon looks very bewitching in the sky.
At dusk, just before sunrise or just after sunset, the sky above the horizon is partly colorless and partly pinkish. This phenomenon is called the belt of Venus. The colorless band between the already darkened sky and the blue sky can be seen everywhere, even to the side opposite the Sun. The blueness of the sky is due to the reflection of sunlight in the atmosphere. The phenomenon of the belt of Venus is explained by the reflection in the atmosphere of the light of the setting (or rising) Sun, which appears reddened. The Belt of Venus is visible anywhere as long as the horizon is clear. In the picture you see the belt of Venus, photographed in the Valley of the Moon, covered in morning fog.

Source

LIGHTNING BALLS On August 17, 1978, a group of Soviet climbers camping in the Caucasus Mountains was attacked by ball lightning. The fireball took turns flying into their sleeping bags. One person died, four received severe burns. There are a lot of interpretations of the ball lightning phenomenon - from UFOs and some life forms to scientific hypotheses. P. L. Kapitsa believed that a standing electromagnetic wave arises between clouds and the earth, and a gas discharge can form on it, which moves along the field lines of force. There is a version of the plasmoid, thermochemical effects occurring in saturated water vapor in a strong electric field, etc.

Light pillars Light (solar pillars) - an optical phenomenon, which is a strip of light that goes up or down from a bright object, such as the Sun. Most often they can be observed during sunrise or sunset. A column of light occurs when sunlight reflects off the surfaces of tiny ice crystals suspended in the air. Such crystals form in high cirrus clouds, most often in cirrostratus clouds. At low temperatures, similar crystals can also form in the lower layers of the atmosphere. Therefore, light pillars are more often observed in the cold season.

Halo Halo is the refraction and reflection of light in the ice crystals of the clouds of the upper tier; are bright or iridescent circles around the Sun or Moon, separated from the luminary by a dark gap. Halos are often observed in front of cyclones and therefore can be a sign of their approach.

THE LIGHTS OF SAINT ELMO. If the intensity of the electric field in the atmosphere is high, then in addition to spark discharges - lightning - sometimes there is an outflow of electricity from the ends of sharp objects. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that the air near prominent objects becomes a conductor of electricity and a glow appears at their sharp ends. These "silent" discharges are sometimes accompanied by a faint crackle and are called the fires of St. Elmo, the patron saint of sailors. It is especially beautiful when the fires of St. Elmo appear at the ends of the masts and yards of a sailing ship. Thunderclouds are not needed to form these mysterious lights, they are more often seen in the mountains, as well as during dust storms and snowstorms.

Red Elves Elves are huge but faintly luminous flash-cones (most often curved cones) that emerge directly from the top of a thundercloud (anvil). They appear above the active system (core) of a thunderstorm and are directly related to linear and flat lightning strikes. They are oval or cone-shaped spots of red color, which can be located above the cloud either in groups or separately. Elves are very tall, their crowns rise to an average height of up to 95 km.

Gloria Gloria (from Latin gloria - glory, halo) - an optical phenomenon, which is a multi-colored ring around the observer's shadow cast on a cloud consisting of water droplets. Gloria looks like a rainbow, but it is much smaller than the colorful companion of rain. Its angular size ranges from 5 to 20 degrees, so it is almost always a full circle. There is no exact theory of the formation of gloria, however, it is believed that, like a rainbow, it is formed due to the diffraction of light reflected by water droplets.

MIRAGE (FATA-MORGANA) Mirages are an optical phenomenon caused by the refraction of light rays in the atmosphere due to uneven heating of the air. They are of several types. Fata Morgana - the most rare view mirage. It occurs when several alternating layers of air of different density are formed, capable of producing specular reflections.

Aurora Borealis Not a terrestrial phenomenon as it is caused by the Sun and deploys high above the earth. Periodically, a flash occurs on the Sun, equal in energy released to the explosion of an unimaginable number of atomic bombs, and a mass of particles rushing at the speed of light is ejected into space. Deviating under the action of the Earth's magnetic field, they hit atmospheric particles, imparting an electric charge to them. Getting rid of the charge, the particles begin to "glow" - this process and gives light, creating a performance in the night sky. And the reason why the aurora has chosen the polar regions lies in magnetic fields: they deflect particles rushing to the equator and direct them to the Earth's magnetic poles.

The phenomenon, known as "swinging curtains", occurs at an altitude of about 113 km. The maximum height at which the lights are formed, km. above the earth's surface; there are also some indications that reddish lights are more common in the upper layers, where the atmosphere is thinner and particles are less likely to collide. As particle collisions increase, the color changes to purple; at low altitudes, green is the most common color. Although these dancing lights have received a scientific explanation, they have retained an aura of mystery and a reputation as one of nature's most striking phenomena.

Thunderstorms usually happen on a hot summer day. A strong wind arose, a downpour poured, lightning flashed, thunder rumbled. Why does a thunderstorm occur? Warm air with water vapor quickly rises. The higher from the surface of the Earth, the lower the air temperature (see. Shells of the Earth), so water vapor turns into water droplets and into small ice crystals. Water drops and ice hailstones collide with each other, receiving an electric charge. The resulting charges accumulate in the cloud, reach a certain power and are discharged with a bright flash - lightning. Lightning heats the air very much, it expands rapidly and a blast wave occurs - we hear thunder. Light travels much faster than sound, so lightning is seen first, and then thunder sounds. According to the time interval between lightning and thunder, one can judge the distance to a thunderstorm: the later the thunder sounds after the flash, the farther the thunderstorm is.