Open-cell vs. closed-cell convection over the Pacific Ocean
GOES-11 (GOES-West) visible channel images (above) displayed an unusually large area of open-cell cumulus clouds across the North Pacific Ocean on 20 January 2010. This type of open-cell mesoscale convective cloud pattern is a signature of strong instability (via boundary layer cold air advection over relatively warmer waters) in an environment of... Read More