A mysterious phenomenon observed by NASA in the clouds over the Gulf of Mexico

NASA shared an interesting image taken by its Terra satellite over the Gulf of Mexico Report dated January 30, 2024 Interested in trade Monday 4 March. In fact, the presence of two massive circular “holes” in the clouds has raised questions. But the space agency confirms that this phenomenon, called “CAFOM”, will be known to meteorologists since the 1940s and will be linked to human activity. Gent Side .

The strange shapes above the sea, which were photographed in southwest Florida, are not extraterrestrial appearances, as NASA claims in a press release: “There is no need to resort to supernatural explanations to explain the interesting cloud formation.” According to her, cavitation is caused by aircraft passing through banks of cumulus clouds located at an altitude of between 2,000 and 6,000 meters above sea level. Studies conducted by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) in 2010 and 2011 supported this interpretation.

Hundreds of flights are the origin of the phenomenon

Therefore, this phenomenon finds its explanation in the cold air temperature and atmospheric instability resulting from the passage of aircraft through clouds consisting of very cold droplets. These droplets, cooled over aircraft wings, turn into ice crystals heavy enough to fall from the sky, leaving behind these distinctive holes and details. CNews .

Furthermore, the lower the penetration angle of the jet, the greater the resulting cavitation. Several hundred flights from Miami International Airport are believed to be the source of the images, which were taken at the end of January. Kavum, also called “super cloud” or “falling cloud”It was also included in the International Cloud Atlas in 2017.