> The wrinkle is water vapor that's in the air, and it's compressed by the
> plane's wing. That's why it's seen more often in the denser air near the
> ground than in upper altitudes. Reminds me of a blanket of fog that's
> fast-moving and compressed.
Actually it is a LOW pressure area over the wing (which give the wing it's
lift). As moisture laden air enters this low pressure area, the air expands
and cools - in this instance below the dewpoint temperature so some of the
water condenses into a visible vapor. As the air leaves the low pressure
area it warms up again and the vapor disappears.
Chip Stratton
cstrat@xxxxxxxxx
< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >
|