Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mit-eddie!ll-xn!ames!coherent!dplatt
From: dplatt@coherent.com (Dave Platt)
Newsgroups: sci.misc
Subject: Re: The Last Word on Friedman, Sevener, and Cuba
Message-ID: <2375@coherent.com>
Date: 16 Mar 88 20:38:49 GMT
References: <3405@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> <3895@whuts.UUCP> <3588@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> <3904@whuts.UUCP> <3699@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> <3925@whuts.UUCP>
Organization: Coherent Thought Inc., Palo Alto CA
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Ummm... perhaps I shouldn't stick my head up and get it shot off,
but...  is it possible that what Michael Friedman saw from Key West was
actually a bank of clouds located directly above the island of Cuba?

As I recall, islands in [sub]tropical waters often have semi-permanent
cloud banks hovering above them.  The island landmass rises up some
distance above the ocean surface;  it interrupts the smooth flow of air
along the ocean surface, forcing moisture-laden air to rise upwards (or
sideways) around the island peak.  If the air is forced to rise several
thousand feet, it'll encounter cooler ambient air at the higher
altitudes, cool down, and some of its moisture will condense and form a
cloud.

Seems to me that an island-effect cloud could easily rise a mile or
more above Cuba's highest peak under typical conditions;  this would
raise the cloud tops well into view from Key West, according to the
figures recently posted.

I believe I've read that sailors exploring the Pacific ocean depended
rather heavily on this phenomenon to locate islands... the clouds could
be seen from a much greater distance than the islands themselves.

-- 

Dave Platt
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