Genus Cirrus (curl of hair) Indicates precipitation No Abbreviation Ci ve | Precipitation cloud? No Classification Family A (high-level) Minimum altitude (feet) 20,000 | |
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Species vertebratus (like a spinal column) Appearance Looks like a spinal column or a fish skeleton | ||
Cirrus vertebratus artificially induced
Cirrus vertebratus is a type of cirrus cloud. The name cirrus vertebratus is derived from Latin, meaning "jointed, articulated, vertebrated". Like cirrus intortus, the vertebratus species is exclusive to the cirrus genus. Cirrus vertebratus gives the impression of vertebrae in a spinal column, ribs, or a fish skeleton.
The species is an unusual form of cirrus clouds and is formed by air moving parallel to the main cloud line. The gaps in the cloud occur where air is descending, while the "ribs" of the cloud correspond with areas of uplift. Their occurrence appears to be connected with the location of the jet stream.
References
Cirrus vertebratus Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA