Sea of clouds
{{Short description|Description of layer of clouds as viewed from above, resembling waves}}
{{for multi|the lunar mare|Mare Nubium|other uses|Sea fog (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox cloud type
| name = Sea of clouds
| image location = Chamonix valley clouds.jpg
| image name = Sea of clouds in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc.
| abbreviation =
| symbol =
| genus =
| species =
| variety =
| altitude_m =
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| level = low
| appearance = Uniform with ondulations
| precipitation = no
| thickness =
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}}
File:Mount Pulag, Kabayan, Philippines (Unsplash).jpg, Philippines]]
A sea of clouds is an overcast layer of stratocumulus clouds, as viewed from above, with a relatively uniform top which shows undulations of very different lengths resembling waves on the sea.{{cite web | url= http://www.eumetcal.org/euromet/glossary/seaofclo.htm | title= Sea of clouds | author= World Meteorological Organization | author-link= World Meteorological Organization | publisher= Eumetcal | accessdate= February 22, 2015 | url-status= dead | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160303185423/http://www.eumetcal.org/euromet/glossary/seaofclo.htm | archivedate= March 3, 2016 }} A sea of fog is formed from stratus clouds or fog and does not show undulations.{{cite web | url= http://www.eumetcal.org/euromet/glossary/seaoffog.htm | title= Sea of fog | author= World Meteorological Organization | author-link= World Meteorological Organization | publisher= Eumetcal | accessdate= February 22, 2015 | url-status= dead | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160303190850/http://www.eumetcal.org/euromet/glossary/seaoffog.htm | archivedate= March 3, 2016 }}
In both cases, the phenomenon looks very similar to the open ocean. The comparison is even more complete if some mountain peaks rise above the clouds, thus resembling islands.
Formation
A sea of clouds forms generally in valleys or over seas in very stable air mass conditions such as in a temperature inversion. Humidity can then reach saturation and condensation leads to a very uniform stratocumulus cloud, stratus cloud or fog. Above this layer, the air must be dry. This is a common situation in a high-pressure area with cooling at the surface by radiative cooling at night in summer, or advection of cold air in winter or in a marine layer.
Artistic uses
- The term Sea of Clouds (雲海) is a Chinese poetic term for the surroundings of a mountain's summit, such as the one at Huangshan.{{cite book | first1=Derek |last1=Maitland |first2=Chris |last2=Taylor|title=Traveler's China companion|date=1998|publisher=Globe Pequot Press|location=Old Saybrook|isbn=9780762702497|page=20}}
- Wanderer above the Sea of Fog is an oil painting composed in 1818 by the German Romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich depicting this phenomenon.