Inversion Layer?

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cbm
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Inversion Layer?

Unread post by cbm »

Someone posted this to a skiing/snowboarding forum. Mt Taranaki seen from Turoa on Sunday.

http://imgur.com/FAyEi.jpg

Is the mountain just highlighting an inversion layer that was there otherwise, or is it contributing to the effect seen?
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Re: Inversion Layer?

Unread post by Manukau heads obs »

interesting picture
because the range nearer NP also has the same thing showing up, I would say the inversion layer is there regardless of the mountain being there, as it looks to me that the optical illusion is occuring between the mt taranaki and the viewer
looks to me to be like a mirrage effect, with the inversion layer being warmer air over colder air
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Brian Hamilton, weather enthusiast. My weather dataEmail: [email protected]
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Re: Inversion Layer?

Unread post by jamie »

WOW thats a really interesting photo there. Of all the times ive been up Ruapehu ive never seen Taranaki look like this. Ive seen some spectacular sights of it but never this phenomenon.
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Re: Inversion Layer?

Unread post by jamie »

Brian im not too sure what your saying but is it something like the snow is reflecting the light up so the cold dense wet air has light coming from many angles. So like in the winter if the sun is behind you a shower moving at you it will always look blacker, then when the sun goes behind the cloud all of a sudden the darkness of the cloud goes. Was thinking this could be what we are seeing? snow reflecting light onto the water particles making them dark.
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Re: Inversion Layer?

Unread post by Nev »

I think what Brian is saying is that, because of the different densities of air between the two distinctly different temperature layers, they act like two separate lenses and reflect the light at two slightly different angles (nothing to do with the mountain or the snow itself).

The original photo is of poor quality. This cleaned up version shows the extent of the inversion layer more clearly ...
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Re: Inversion Layer?

Unread post by TonyT »

Nice photo!

I sometimes see a similar effect to this from Amberley Beach, looking out over the water towards Motanau in the north or Banks Peninsula in the south - always in a NW airflow when the NW'er has not yet made it to the surface yet, and surface winds are calm. Sometimes trees on the far horizon look upside down. Its certainly an inversion layer effect.
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Re: Inversion Layer?

Unread post by Paul Mallinson »

A spectacular shot!

I had a look at the Paraparaumu and Whenuapai soundings for noon on July 26 and you can see the inversion very nicely, and at about the right height.

Paul
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