The sixth flag: the science of clouds

Layer, stack, aura… No doubt you love to think about it, but did you know that there is a unique laboratory in the world that you aspire to study from the inside? Chemical composition, water content, droplet size and the presence of ice crystals, nothing escapes the Puy-de-Dôme Observatory, which this year celebrates 150 years of work in meteorology and geology. in this 62^NS Sixth episode of Science audio notation Science and the future NS 20 minutes, Loïc Chauveau, environmental journalist at Science and the future Who went to this workshop to answer Roman Gollum’s questions 20 minutes

cloud broom

Both talk about the scientific manipulations of collecting these collections of vapors in real time to study them better. Scientists have several instruments: anemometers, air and water collectors and, above all, a centrifugal fan that rotates at a speed of 430 kilometers per hour to suck the famous clouds. In the heart of Auvergne and 450 kilometers from the sea, the wet masses meet here and for the first time an important relief, the mountains of Auvergne. In addition, the Puy de Dôme reaches its peak on average 40% of its time in the clouds. But it is thanks to particles of natural origin (desert sand, salt) or of human origin (combustion residues) contained in the air that clouds can form.

“Water vapor in the atmosphere cannot naturally condense to form droplets or ice crystals, Anne-Marie Delort, director of the Clermont-Ferrand Institute of Chemistry, told Loic Chauveau. Needs support, the condensation core is provided by atmospheric dust”. One of the most effective is sea salt, which is why we find most of the clouds in the seas and oceans. Are you interested in the topic? You can find it in full here,

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