FORT WORTH, Texas -- An atmospheric expert has revealed the cause of a colorful cloud formation that appeared last week in the sky above Dallas/Fort Worth.
Photo taken by Jim Kersey.
In an e-mail to NBC 5 Chief Meteorologist David Finfrock, Les Cowley, of Atmospheric Optics, identified the phenomenon that appeared last Thursday.
"The colors are fragments of an ice halo called a circumhorizon arc," Cowley wrote.He explained that the rainbow-like arc is formed when sunlight refracts through horizontal, hexagonal ice crystals in high cirrus clouds.Cowley also wrote that the arcs can only be seen in the summer, around noon, when the sun is very high in the sky.Finfrock addressed Cowley's explanation in his latest posting to the NBC 5 Weather Team Blog.The arc remained in the southeastern sky for several minutes, but was obscured by other clouds at times.NBC 5 Meteorolgist James Aydelott had offered one possible explanation, saying that the sun was hitting the cloud at just the right angle, similar to a phenomenon known as "sun dogs."NBC 5 Chief Meteorologist David Finfrock had noted in a previous blog post that one viewer explained that the display was possibly caused by a "fuel dump" from an aircraft.Do you agree with Cowley's explanation? Take our survey and add your thoughts to our message board.
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