# Wild cloud behavior **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Created:** [September 11, 2019, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/wild-cloud-behavior/4266 "2019-09-11T16:55:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sunny](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/sunny/32/16368_2.png) [@sunny](https://community.tempest.earth/u/sunny)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2019, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/wild-cloud-behavior/4266/1 "2019-09-11T16:55:00Z")
Now I have my all sky camera up, I watch more and more time-lapse videos. I noticed again (I knew this before) that sometimes the clouds in one layer move in a total different direction then another. It’s not uncommon to see a 90 degree difference. Of course that looks spectacular, and it is probably an indication that the atmosphere is a bit unstable. What I’m wondering if there is some meteorological conclusion/prediction that in general can be made from this observations. Some of you are probably meteorologist. Any remarks that apply to this situation? (the word wild in the title was added because the title needs to be at least 15 characters 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![vidguy7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/9de053/32.png) [@vidguy7](https://community.tempest.earth/u/vidguy7)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2019, 8:05pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/wild-cloud-behavior/4266/2 "2019-09-11T20:05:39Z")
Wind shear can be conducive to the formation of thunderstorms. Depending on the altitude the wind shear takes place, it’s also an added headache/hazard to aviation…particularly for landings & takeoffs. ---
**Author:** ![hankster](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/hankster/32/64_2.png) [@hankster](https://community.tempest.earth/u/hankster)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2019, 1:53am UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/wild-cloud-behavior/4266/3 "2019-09-12T01:53:45Z")
We get that a lot here on the Gulf coast. I’ve seen different layers moving in 4 different direction at one time. When the Gulf breeze kicks up all kinds of fun things can happen. In this videos you can see the clouds building on the horizon as the sea breeze starts to push on shore, it’s like a fist fight between the winds. ---
**Author:** ![iladyman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/iladyman/32/2305_2.png) [@iladyman](https://community.tempest.earth/u/iladyman)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2019, 3:22am UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/wild-cloud-behavior/4266/4 "2019-09-12T03:22:08Z")
Hi @sunny, The atmosphere is composed of layers of air with differences in temperatures that often create inversions where the change in temperature discourages mixing between the layers. Each layer is moving in a generally different speed and direction. A balloon or soaring pilot would have difficulty flying if they didnt understand where the air was moving in each layer. A good sailplane/hang glider/paraglider pilot becomes very knowledgable about the movements and the interaction between the layers which can create wave like lines, turbulence, slow lift, and changes in speed and direction. Think about a cold front approaching you it will be a layer of cooler heavier air sliding under the warmer air, but there are many reasons but mainly all caused by the heat of the sun warming the air that touches what the sun warms. As I think you are from New Zealand I will point you to a page created by one of your top paraglider pilots Louis Tapper about the weather. You would be interested in learning about a ‘Skew chart’: > **[Weather Links](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F8YZClGU8TQQrhe1go_h9VW1B26R4wi4rdTp5clkmwc/edit?fbclid=IwAR2dQQak94EkK3pAS5uUrGP7y-7bkuGlu0vzRc04B8Yug-4fK8V7YJ0qLxc#heading=h.nagj6cl4oqqt)** > > Weather The following is a bunch of links to Weather resources (Websites, Videos, Books and Talk) I have found useful and mostly practical over the last 7 years. Getting to the right spot at the right time and understanding what the air is doing, is... Or search for ‘skew-t’, as an example [Nerdin' It Up: How to Find Instability by Hand on a SKEW-T Chart](http://thevane.gawker.com/nerdin-it-up-how-to-find-instability-by-hand-on-a-skew-1706378907) cheers Ian 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sunny](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/sunny/32/16368_2.png) [@sunny](https://community.tempest.earth/u/sunny)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2019, 7:45am UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/wild-cloud-behavior/4266/5 "2019-09-12T07:45:05Z")
that’s an interesting read! thanks for the links (but I’m from almost the complete opposite side of the world 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![sunny](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/sunny/32/16368_2.png) [@sunny](https://community.tempest.earth/u/sunny)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2019, 7:47am UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/wild-cloud-behavior/4266/6 "2019-09-12T07:47:30Z")
yeah, next to the coast you get even cooler movies. nice! ---
**Author:** ![vinceskahan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/vinceskahan/32/2785_2.png) [@vinceskahan](https://community.tempest.earth/u/vinceskahan)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2019, 5:59pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/wild-cloud-behavior/4266/7 "2019-09-12T17:59:07Z")
great videos - what direction are you pointing the camera at and what kind of camera are you using ? ---
**Author:** ![hankster](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/hankster/32/64_2.png) [@hankster](https://community.tempest.earth/u/hankster)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2019, 8:19pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/wild-cloud-behavior/4266/8 "2019-09-12T20:19:00Z")
It is pointing south west. The camera is just a cheap Chinese Foscam knockoff. ---
**Author:** ![bill](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/bill/32/401_2.png) [@bill](https://community.tempest.earth/u/bill)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 12:21am UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/wild-cloud-behavior/4266/9 "2019-09-18T00:21:13Z")
This is how hot air balloons navigate as well. It’s amazing how those guys hit ground targets in competitions. ---
**Author:** ![btst.online](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/btst.online/32/16538_2.png) [@btst.online](https://community.tempest.earth/u/btst.online)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2020, 2:49am UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/wild-cloud-behavior/4266/10 "2020-07-31T02:49:14Z")
Agreed. Here in the Panhandle area, it’s always fun to watch the clouds when the storms come up off the Gulf. ---
**Author:** ![GaryFunk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/garyfunk/32/5729_2.png) [@GaryFunk](https://community.tempest.earth/u/GaryFunk)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2020, 3:16am UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/wild-cloud-behavior/4266/11 "2020-07-31T03:16:38Z")
You should should see how the clouds act at 14,000 feet. It’s simply amazing to watch the different movements.