August 29, 2022 - Open- and Closed-Cell Clouds over the Pacific

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A lovely layer of lace-like cloud stretched across the Pacific Ocean on
August 25, 2022, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
(MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of
the region. On that day, large banks of similar clouds were found off
of the coast of both North America and South America—areas particularly
favorable for formation of large banks of marine stratocumulus clouds.
This particular image was captured about 1000 miles (1,609 km) west of
the cost of Chile.

Marine stratocumulus clouds usually form at low altitudes (below 6,000
feet), especially where the atmosphere is stable, such as off the
western coasts of large land masses. They are quite common, covering
about 20 percent of the low-latitude oceans, which translates to about
6.5 percent of the Earth’s surface. Marine stratocumulus are separated
into “organized” and “disorganized” types, then the organized forms are
further divided into “open-celled” or “closed-cell” types. The clouds
viewed here are organized, with both open-celled and closed-celled
clouds present.

Open-celled clouds often look like a honeycomb, with an open center
surrounded by thin lines of cloud, giving the clouds a lacy look.
Closed-cell clouds are more like capped honeycombs, with thick, puffy
center of a fainter or absent edge. Despite their open, moisture-free
appearance, pockets of open cells are actually associated with the
development of precipitation. Uninterrupted decks of closed-cell
stratocumulus clouds produce little to no drizzle; pockets of open
cells occur as drizzle begins to fall.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 8/26/2022
Resolutions: 1km (2 MB), 500m (5.5 MB), 250m (4.2 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2022-08-29

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