Learn more about nacreous clouds, also known as polar stratospheric clouds. We take a look at how these colorful clouds form and why they're so rare. Skip to main content.

Polar stratospheric clouds are very rare, as they occur between 49,000 and 82,000 feet up, in the stratosphere layer of the atmosphere over the Earth's poles, ...

The stratospheric polar vortex is smoother, smaller and more circular. It doesn’t exist year-round — instead it’s a whirlpool of frigid air that forms in the fall as the upper atmosphere cools.

Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) are seen in the sky over Jukkasjarvi, northern Sweden, on December 17, 2023, in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images 2023-12-27T13:18:06Z ...

Strange "rainbow clouds" that look like a colorful portal to another dimension have recently appeared across northern skies. These nacreous clouds, also known as polar stratospheric clouds, are ...

Type II polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) are known as one of the most beautiful cloud types in Earth's repertoire, appearing above the Arctic and Antarctic as softly glowing whisps with a ...

Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) play a pivotal role in stratospheric chemistry, particularly in the processes that lead to ozone depletion. Formed under extreme cold conditions in the polar ...

Stratospheric clouds over the Arctic may explain the differences seen between the polar warming calculated by climate models and actual recordings, find researchers from UNSW Sydney. The Earth's ...

The clouds, known as polar stratospheric clouds (PSC), only form when the lower stratosphere reaches temperatures below minus 114 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 81 degrees Celsius).

The multi-colored clouds are known as polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) and look similar to auroras blazing in the sky. However, these rainbow clouds aren’t auroras as you might think.

Texas will unlikely see a polar vortex in January without Sudden Stratospheric Warming. Here's how soon we can forecast a potential impact.