Category Archives: weather

Lake-surface oscillation

Posted on January 10, 2019 by Alistair

The varying patterns that can be seen on our lake are endlessly fascinating. Photographers often seek out particularly beautiful ones, as do I, but I also seek the beauty of its physics. Pop pattern posting: With over 6500 viewings … Continue reading →

Posted in weather | 3 Comments

Post-posting ponderings

Posted on December 30, 2018 by Alistair

The majority of my postings stand alone. Yet, sometimes following a posting, I continue to ponder it. This is a collection of five further ruminations made this last year. Speeding hare, Jan. 17, 2018 I was struck by the … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, mammals, weather | 7 Comments

December goulash

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Alistair

This is a compilation of a few images, none of which had its own posting in December. Indeed, December could be characterized as a month of sparse observations. Early in the month, Trumpeter Swans came through, but were often … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, mammals, weather | 5 Comments

Larch

Posted on October 25, 2018 by Alistair

When I was a child, I was told of two kinds of trees: deciduous and conifer. This distinction seemed odd, for these are not matching classifications: deciduous refers to a seasonal shedding of leaves; conifer to a reproductive structure. … Continue reading →

Posted in scenes, weather | 2 Comments

Underwater spring

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Alistair

Video: It is rare that I think that a posting would have been improved by the inclusion of a video clip. I am usually more concerned with stopping motion than showing it. However today, a movie clip would have … Continue reading →

Posted in commentary, scenes, weather | 1 Comment

Western sky

Posted on October 21, 2018 by Alistair

The western sky is associated with sunsets — also grand haloes. This evening’s sky had a group of haloes. They were not the best I had seen, but they were eminently satisfactory. There was a modest 22° halo, an … Continue reading →

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Holes in a cloud

Posted on October 20, 2018 by Alistair

A week ago, I showed iridescence in a lenticular cloud (colours in a wave cloud). Here is another uncommon feature of such clouds: lacunosus, that is, the cloud is potmarked with holes. (Lacunosus is Latin for: full of lacunae, … Continue reading →

Posted in weather | 3 Comments

Cloud colours

Posted on October 12, 2018 by Alistair

The spectacular colours of fall are naturally associated with deciduous trees. Yet, these are not the only delightful variegation to be seen. Iridescent clouds are often visible in this season. The colours in iridescent clouds arise from the interference … Continue reading →

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Waltz of wind, water, & waves

Posted on September 20, 2018 by Alistair

As the sun rose yesterday, a neat choreography of a katabatic wind created ephemeral sprites of steam fog, and abruptly ruffled calm waters farther offshore. In fifteen minutes, it was all over. Katabatic wind The night had been clear, … Continue reading →

Posted in weather | 5 Comments

Perplexing sky

Posted on September 2, 2018 by Alistair

Down here on the surface of the earth, we are used to judging distance with the help of contrast: distant objects have a lower contrast than those in the foreground. This insight works for solid objects with sharp boundaries. … Continue reading →

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