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Appreciation post: I looked up why clouds over the ocean look different and learned from a NOAA article that marine air has way more salt particles for water to cling to.
Has anyone else noticed this effect near a coast or is it just me?
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lucas6315d ago
Actually, it's not so much that marine air has more salt particles for water to cling to. The main thing is the size and number of the salt particles. They're bigger and act as better condensation nuclei than dust over land, which changes how the cloud droplets form and scatter light. That's why the cloud texture looks smoother and more defined over the ocean.
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reese_chen15d ago
I sailed the Caribbean for a season and you see it best at sunrise. Those salt nuclei Lucas mentioned make the low clouds look like solid, rolling sheets instead of puffy cotton balls. It's a dead giveaway you're looking at marine air before you even see land.
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