MSGID: 1:317/3 6480c5cb   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   June 7, 2023 - Open- and Closed-Cell Clouds over the Pacific Ocean   
      
      Open and Closed-Cell clouds in the Pacific Ocean   
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      On June 6, 2023, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer   
      (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of a large   
      swath of beautifully patterned marine stratocumulus clouds over the   
      Pacific Ocean.   
      
      Marine stratocumulus clouds frequently form over water, especially off   
      the western coast of both North and South America. They usually form at   
      low altitudes (below 6,000 feet) and cover roughly 20 percent of the   
      low-latitude oceans, or 6.5 percent of the Earth’s surface. There are   
      two primary forms of marine stratocumulus cloud—open- and   
      closed-cell—and both types are seen in this image. Both forms are built   
      on honeycomb- shaped “cells”. Open-celled clouds look like empty   
      compartments, while the structure of closed-cell clouds appears to be   
      stuffed with fluffy white cloud.   
      
      A bank of close-cell stratocumulus cloud can act like a large blanket   
      over the Earth, covering nearly 100 percent of the underlying land   
      surface, and yet reflect a large portion of solar radiation. This can   
      create a cooling effect on the Earth under the clouds. On the other   
      hand, a bank of the more loosely-formed open-cell clouds block very   
      little solar radiation. Open-cell clouds have been associated with the   
      development of precipitation, with pockets of open-cell clouds opening   
      as rain begins to fall. A deck of closed-cell clouds produces little or   
      no drizzle.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Aqua   
      Date Acquired: 6/6/2023   
      Resolutions:  1km (743.8 KB),  500m (2 MB),  250m (1.7 MB)   
      Bands Used: 1,4,3   
      Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC   
      
      
      
   https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-06-07   
       
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