- Why Mammatus clouds form: pockets of sinking air form mamma
- W000872Z
- Why Mammatus clouds form. When a thunderstorm anvil cloud spreads out, the air at cloud base often becomes negatively buoyant since the cloudy air is cooler than the clear air below it, either from evaporation within it or subsidence of the whole layer. This results in pockets of sinking air carrying particles down to form pouches or mamma (Mammatus clouds) on the anvil’s underside.
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