Discovery of new type of cloud in Britian

A British cloud enthusiast has claimed to have discovered a new type of cloud.

According to a report in National Geographic News, Gavin Pretor-Pinney, founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society, began getting photos of "dramatic" and "weird" clouds in 2005 that he didn't know how to define.

A few months ago, he began preparing to propose the odd formations as a new cloud variety to the UN's World Meteorological Organization, which classifies cloud types.

Pretor-Pinney jokingly calls it the "Jacques Cousteau cloud," after its resemblance to a roiling ocean surface seen from below.

But, the cloud fan has proposed a "formal," Latin name: Undulus asperatus roughly, "a very turbulent, violent, chaotic form of undulation," explained Pretor-Pinney, author of the new Cloud Collector's Handbook.

According to Margaret LeMone, a cloud expert with the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, it's likely that the cloud will turn out to be a new variety.

"Having a group of people enthusiastic about clouds can only help the field of meteorology," she added.

Asked how has such a striking cloud type could go unrecognized, Pretor-Pinney cites its rarity and the proliferation and portability of digital cameras.

"Technology has allowed us to have this new perspective on the sky," he said.