Sky combs and the "disappearance" of the ocean. Unusual phenomena were recorded near the Vernadsky station: the penguins were in a frenzy

Near the Akademik Vernadsky station , Ukrainian polar explorers recorded a special atmospheric phenomenon - wavy clouds. The researchers also reported that the ocean had "receded".

According to the scientists, the combs arise due to the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability: when two flows with different densities and speeds meet and turbulence appears at their boundary. But the ocean "receded" due to high tides, which the local penguins were not very happy about, the researchers wrote on the Vernadsky's Facebook page.

Unusual clouds can occur at the boundary of two different media or two layers of the same medium, scientists emphasize. "A vivid example of the first case is waves on the water surface under the influence of wind. Under certain conditions, they lose stability and foam combs appear on their tops," the polar explorers explained.

And wavy clouds are precisely the result of the interaction of different layers of the troposphere (the lower layer of the atmosphere - the gas shell of the Earth, in which clouds are mainly formed), scientists say.

Experts also explain that celestial combs are often associated with temperature inversion: when the upper layer of air is warmer than the lower layer. This, for example, can be observed in the mountains, where heavy cold air sinks down the slopes.

"The upper warm stream moves faster and touches the lower one, which is slower and colder. At the boundary of their interaction, waves with combs are formed," the Ukrainian researchers noted.

However, such combs are extremely rare to see. According to the scientists, most of these waves remain invisible in the atmosphere forever. "Only under certain conditions, when there is air saturated with moisture at the boundary of the layers, is it picked up by the waves and we can see the combs," the Vernadsky scientists emphasized.

While the wavy clouds did not cause much concern for the neighbors of the Ukrainian polar explorers, the subarctic penguins, the "escape" of the ocean caused a wave of indignation among the birds.

"Due to a significant drop in the water level, the penguins could not go ashore after breakfast on their usual routes. So they walked and looked for other ways," said ozonometrist Serhiy Yakushchenko, who went to the pier to examine the seabed but met worried penguins there.

According to the polar explorers, the differences between the maximum and minimum water levels fluctuated by up to 1.8 meters, which is why there were strong tides.

However, the penguins did not lose heart for long. They quickly found other paths leading to the water.

OBOZ.UA previously wrote that a flock of penguins came close to a Ukrainian polar explorer and began to examine him, this cute moment in the Antarctic was caught on video.

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