Editing Sea of clouds

{{Short description|Description of layer of clouds as viewed from above, resembling waves}}
{{for multi|the lunar mare|Mare Nubium|other uses|Sea fog (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox cloud type
| name           = Sea of clouds
| image location = Chamonix valley clouds.jpg
| image name     = Sea of clouds in [[Chamonix-Mont-Blanc]].
| abbreviation   = 
| symbol         = 
| genus          = 
| species        = 
| variety        = 
| altitude_m     = 
| altitude_ft    = 
| level          = low
| appearance     = Uniform with ondulations
| precipitation  = no
| thickness      = 
| Ice content    = 
}}
[[File:Mount Pulag, Kabayan, Philippines (Unsplash).jpg|thumb|Sea of clouds in [[Mount Pulag]], [[Philippines]]]]

A '''sea of clouds''' is an [[overcast]] layer of [[stratocumulus cloud]]s, as viewed from above, with a relatively uniform top which shows undulations of very different lengths resembling waves on the sea.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.eumetcal.org/euromet/glossary/seaofclo.htm | title= Sea of clouds | author= World Meteorological Organization | author-link= World Meteorological Organization | publisher= Eumetcal | accessdate= February 22, 2015 | url-status= dead | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160303185423/http://www.eumetcal.org/euromet/glossary/seaofclo.htm | archivedate= March 3, 2016 }}</ref> A '''sea of fog''' is formed from [[stratus cloud]]s or [[fog]] and does not show undulations.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.eumetcal.org/euromet/glossary/seaoffog.htm | title= Sea of fog | author= World Meteorological Organization | author-link= World Meteorological Organization | publisher= Eumetcal | accessdate= February 22, 2015 | url-status= dead | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160303190850/http://www.eumetcal.org/euromet/glossary/seaoffog.htm | archivedate= March 3, 2016 }}</ref>

In both cases, the phenomenon looks very similar to the open ocean. The comparison is even more complete if some mountain peaks rise above the clouds, thus resembling islands.

== Formation ==
A sea of clouds forms generally in valleys or over seas in very stable [[air mass]] conditions such as in a [[temperature inversion]]. Humidity can then reach saturation and condensation leads to a very uniform stratocumulus cloud, stratus cloud or fog. Above this layer, the air must be dry. This is a common situation in a [[high-pressure area]] with cooling at the surface by [[radiative cooling]] at night in summer, or advection of cold air in winter or in a [[marine layer]].

== Artistic uses ==
* The term ''Sea of Clouds'' (雲海) is a Chinese poetic term for the surroundings of a mountain's summit, such as the one at [[Huangshan]].<ref>{{cite book | first1=Derek |last1=Maitland |first2=Chris |last2=Taylor|title=Traveler's China companion|date=1998|publisher=[[Globe Pequot Press]]|location=Old Saybrook|isbn=9780762702497|page=20}}</ref>
* ''[[Wanderer above the Sea of Fog]]'' is an [[oil painting]] composed in 1818 by the [[German Romantic]] artist [[Caspar David Friedrich]] depicting this phenomenon.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{commons category|Sea of clouds}}

[[Category:Clouds]]


{{Cloud-stub}}