Weather etymology

What is a Sun Dog? 10 incredible weather phenomena explained

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If you’ve ever stood out in the open witnessing a double rainbow, a scary gathering storm, or stroll-stopping halo, you probably know how surprising nature can be. It can leave us gaping at the sights as if we were in a movie, or beholding a supernatural scene. Some of the terms for these atmospheric events were chosen hundreds of years ago, before science was able to explain them. Today, most of these mysteries are solved, but only some of the names have been updated. Let’s dive into the terms and explanations behind these 10 weather phenomena!

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Sometimes, when ice crystals are present in the atmosphere, the sunlight is refracted to create the optical effect of two smaller suns flanking the Sun. Humans decided hundreds of years ago to call this sight "Sun Dogs", deriving from the verb "dog" as the action of following someone or something closely.

Sun dogs can be seen anywhere in the world, but are most visible when the sun is setting or dawning (when it is near the horizon) and cold weather has caused ice particles in the air. Other names for this vision are "mock sun" or "parhelion", deriving from the Greek para (beside) and Helios (sun).

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Have you ever seen a "white rainbow"? That’s what fogbows look like. In fact, the two phenomena are related. While rainbows are caused by light interacting with raindrops, fogbows can be seen when the sun meets much smaller water droplets in fog, mist, or clouds, and the rays are diffracted. In other words, the light is smeared causing the optical illusion of a white arch in the sky.

The name of this phenomenon is straightforward: it is a bow caused by fog (fog-bow) as distinguished from a bow caused by rain (rain-bow).

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Maelstroms are large whirlpools: swirling bodies of water that can pull objects, people, and even small vessels into their center. Tides, seabeds, and meeting currents all contribute to forming them, so recurring systems of whirlpools can usually be charted in specific locations.

The word "maelstrom" comes from the Dutch words mael ("to grind") and strom ("stream"). It was first used to describe a specific whirlpool off the coast of Norway near the Lofoten Islands, which was notorious for its ferocity. The term has since become generalized to refer to any powerful whirlpool. The word became more popular in English after it appeared in Edgar Allan Poe's 1841 short story, "A Descent into the Maelström," which described a terrifying encounter with one.

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Squall lines are a scary sight, and the etymology of their name is fitting. They form when a line of thunderstorms meets a cold front: they can extend for miles and bring with them heavy rain, hail, lightning, or even tornadoes.

"Squalls" are sudden and strong winds or storms. It is believed the origin of the word is related to the Old Norse skvala, which means "bawl", "shout", "outcry" or "squeal". These all seem adequate for the shocking appearance of an enormous wall of dark clouds looming overhead. The technical name for squall lines, however, is "quasi-linear convective systems" (QLCS).

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An irisation looks like a rainbow caught inside a cloud. Another name for this phenomenon is "cloud iridescence." They are a beautiful optical effect where clouds display a spectrum of colors, reminding one of the shimmer seen sometimes on soap bubbles or oil slicks. Irisations happen when sunlight or moonlight diffracts around small water droplets or ice crystals in the cloud, scattering the light.

The term "iridescent" comes from the Latin word iris, meaning "rainbow," and the suffix -escent, indicating a process of change. The word literally means "becoming rainbow-colored."

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Lightning within volcanic eruptions must be one of the most dramatic visions nature can grant. "Dirty thunderstorm" is the name given to the system of volcanic materials expelled in an eruption that can form lightning. When a volcano erupts, ash, gases, rock, and other matter ascend in a plume. If those particles collide, they generate static electricity which leads to lightning strikes.

The phrase "dirty thunderstorm" comes from the mixture of volcanic ash and gases that contribute to the lightning's formation. Volcanic lightning was observed and recorded as early as 79 AD, when Pliny the Younger wrote describing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

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Eye-catching as they are, fair-weather waterspouts cause little harm. These look like tornadoes that form on top of bodies of water. In warm temperatures with high humidity, fog and air can ascend into rotating columns. Tornadic waterspouts are a different story: they are destructive tornadoes that move from land to water and are dangerous.

The term "waterspout" comes from the Old English word spoute, meaning a "jet" or "stream of liquid," combined with "water." Sometimes, the rotating columns of air can pick up fish, frogs, or other small aquatic animals, dropping them later on land: this is another strange but real phenomenon popularly known as "raining frogs." Pliny the Elder documented this event.

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What looks like a scene straight from a sci-fi movie is really an occurrence that many people catch in their lifetime. A faint rainbow within a more vibrant rainbow occurs when light undergoes two reflections inside water droplets. The best detail about these is that the colors are "mirrored" or inverted in each of the arches.

The word "rainbow" comes from the Old English regnboga, with regn meaning "rain" and boga meaning "bow" or "arch." Double rainbows have been marveled at since ancient times: the Greek philosopher Alexander of Aphrodisias first described the phenomenon, noting that the space between the two bows was darker. Hence, this dark band of sky is called "Alexander's band."

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Imagine walking in the woods on a cold winter morning and finding one of these on the ground. Then another one up in a branch. You would believe you just discovered an animal unknown to science, or some surreal celestial creature. The first time this sight was documented was in 1918, in German scientist Alfred Wegener’s notes. But its explanation wasn’t known until much later.

Hair ice was called that because that’s what it looked like. We’ve also called it "frost beard", "frost flower," or "ice wool." Very thin, highly delicate hair-like strands of ice, so sensitive that they would break or melt when touched. Today we know that it is formed from a combination of high humidity, temperatures just below freezing, and the presence of Exidiopsis effusa, a fungus found in decaying wood and makes ice crystallize in this shape instead of the usual way.

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A haboob is an intense dust or sandstorm that can arise suddenly and span over several miles. As much as it has been represented in movies or literature, haboobs are a real enough danger in arid or desert zones. When one rises, it can dramatically reduce visibility, cause respiratory issues, and provoke an eerie scene where the massive wall of dust coats over the landscape.

The term "haboob" comes from the Arabic word habūb meaning "strong wind" or "violent storm." The word originated in the Middle East and North Africa, where haboobs are common, but was later adopted meteorological vocabulary worldwide.

UNSUNG HEROES

10 Extraordinary Individuals Who Helped Saved Millions

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In the annals of history, there are hundreds of people whose actions have, in some way or another, shaped the course of humanity for the better. In difficult circumstances, these men and women were presented with the unexpected opportunity to help save others and did it without thinking twice about the consequences.

Here we'll be looking at real heroes of humanity who, throughout history, helped save countless lives.

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In the tense atmosphere of the Cold War, Stanislav Petrov, a Soviet military officer, found himself facing a critical decision that would shape the course of history. On September 26, 1983, Petrov was serving as a lieutenant colonel in the Soviet Air Defense Forces when the early-warning system erroneously detected incoming missiles from the United States, signaling the start of a potential nuclear attack. Despite overwhelming pressure to retaliate, Petrov trusted his instincts and reported the alarm as false, avoiding almost certain nuclear annihilation.

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Norman Borlaug, an American agronomist, dedicated his life to combating global hunger and poverty through agricultural innovation. In the mid-20th century, Borlaug spearheaded the Green Revolution, a series of agricultural advancements that dramatically increased crop yields and food production worldwide, saving over a billion lives from starvation.

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Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman, unknowingly revolutionized modern medicine through her immortal cancerous cells, which were taken without her consent during her cancer treatment in 1951. Although she didn’t live to see it, her cells - now known as HeLa cells - were used in invaluable medical research and countless scientific discoveries, including the polio vaccine and in-vitro fertilization.

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Although his name is not widely known, Maurice Hilleman - an American microbiologist - is credited with saving millions of lives through his development of over 40 vaccines, including those for measles, mumps, rubella, and hepatitis B. His pioneering work in vaccine research and development has had a profound impact on public health worldwide, significantly reducing the prevalence of deadly infectious diseases, and helping save as many as eight million lives each year.

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James Harrison, an Australian blood donor known as the "Man with the Golden Arm," has saved an estimated 2.5 million lives through his blood plasma donations. Harrison's blood contains a unique antibody that is used to develop Anti-D immunoglobulin, a lifesaving treatment for Rhesus disease, a condition that can cause severe complications in newborns. An Australian national hero, he made a total of 1,173 donations before reaching age 81 - the oldest you are allowed to donate blood under Australian policies.

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Alexei Ananenko, Valeri Bespalov, and Boris Baranov, three Soviet engineers, risked their lives to prevent a catastrophic nuclear meltdown during the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. Despite the immense danger posed by lethal radiation levels, they volunteered to enter the flooded basement of the damaged reactor and manually open the valves to drain water, preventing a second explosion that could have had catastrophic consequences for Europe and beyond.

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Saving the entire planet from arguably one of the largest environmental catastrophes of history, American geochemist Clair Cameron Patterson, dedicated his life to raising awareness about the dangers of lead pollution and advocating for environmental regulations to protect public health. His research on lead contamination in the environment led to the removal of lead from gasoline and other consumer products, resulting in significant improvements in air and water quality and preventing countless cases of lead poisoning.

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Joseph Lister is widely known as the father of antiseptics, but the extent to which his work helped revolutionize surgical practices and save lives cannot be overstated. Lister is responsible for introducing the first antiseptic surgical techniques in the 19th century. By simply promoting the use of carbolic acid as a disinfectant on surgical tools and hands during surgery, he dramatically reduced the risk of postoperative infections and mortality rates, laying the foundation of modern infection control measures.

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During the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, a Soviet naval officer called Vasili Arkhipov, found himself facing a pivotal moment that could well determine the fate of the entire world. Arkhipov was aboard the Soviet B-59 submarine discovered by American naval vessels in the waters near Cuba. Pressured by his superiors to use nuclear torpedoes against the US Navy, he refused to comply with the order, single-handedly preventing a nuclear war.

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Rachel Carson, an American marine biologist and conservationist, was the first to sound the alarm about the dangers of pesticide use and its impact on the environment and human health. In her 1962 book "Silent Spring," Carson meticulously documented the harmful effects of pesticides, particularly DDT, on wildlife populations and ecosystems. Her groundbreaking research sparked a global environmental movement that helped save hundreds of species from almost certain extinction, including bald eagles.