Hyla versicolor: Gray to Green Camouflages of Eastern Gray Treefrog

Summary: Hyla versicolor is a New World arboreal frog native to southeastern Canada and central and eastern United States. Eastern Gray Treefrogs quickly camouflage.

Two male Eastern Gray Tree Frogs display camouflage abilities; Friday, June 19, 2009, 14:57: Dustykid, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Hyla versicolor is a New World frog native to eastern North America.

The small, tailless amphibian claims homelands in southeastern Canada from Manitoba through Ontario and Quebec. A disjunct, or separate, population is found in New Brunswick.

In the eastern United States, Hyla versicolor has a wide geographic range sweeping from the Great Plains eastward to the Atlantic coast.

Hyla versicolor is known commonly in English as common gray treefrog, Eastern gray treefrog, North American treefrog or tetraploid gray treefrog.

Eastern Gray Treefrogs enjoy arboreal (Latin: arbor, “tree”) habitats, such as forested areas, rural landscapes, and woodland ponds. During the breeding season they favor proximity to shallow water ecosystems, such as roadside ditches, swamps and vernal (Latin: ver, “spring”) pools.

Eastern Gray Treefrogs measure around 0.5 to 0.7 inches (13 to 20 millimeters) as newly transformed froglets. As adults, they maximize at lengths of around 1.25 to 2.5 inches (32 to 62 millimeters).

The dorsal, or back, of Eastern Gray Treefrogs presents a warty appearance. Eastern Gray Treefrogs reveal a dark patterning on their backs and express a mottled coloration range of gray or white to brown or green as a camouflaging response to their environment.

Bright orange-to-yellow coloring splashes across the ventral surface, or underside, of Eastern Gray Treefrogs’ hind legs. The bright flashes, which are exposed strategically during leaps, tend to startle predators.

Eastern Gray Treefrogs display slight sexual dimorphism (Ancient Greek: δίς, dís, “twice” + μορφή, morphḗ, “form, shape” + -ισμός, -ismós, suffix forming abstract nouns). Males are smaller than females. Males have vocal sacs for calling during mating season and darkened throats while females have light throats and do not vocalize.

Eastern Gray Treefrogs are virtually indistinguishable physically from Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis), also known as Southern Gray Treefrogs. Enjoying a great native range, Cope’s Gray Treefrogs spill over from homelands shared with their lookalikes southward deep into peninsular Florida and westward deep into the Great Plains.

Males of the two lookalike species may be identified audially by notes per second in their mating calls. Eastern Gray Treefrogs trill about 17 to 35 notes per second whereas Cope’s Gray Treefrogs speed at higher pitched trills of 35 to 70 notes per second.

The lookalikes may also be distinguished microscopically by chromosome tally. Hyla versicolor’s common name of Tetraploid (Ancient Greek: τέσσαρες, téssares, “four” + εἶδος, eîdos, “form, likeness”) Gray Treefrog reflects its possession of four sets of chromosomes, for a total of 48. As diploids (Ancient Greek: διπλοῦς, diploûs, “double”+ εἶδος, eîdos, “form, likeness”), Cope’s Gray Treefrogs retain two sets, for a total of 24.

Over the Memorial Day weekend, as I approached my house’s downstairs back door from the yard’s eastern, ephemeral creek border, I noticed a curved outline protruding above the southern edge of the top of the doorframe. My guest was an Eastern Gray Treefrog, hunkered down in a great, predatory location only inches away from the outside light, a favorite gathering spot for insects.

A nudging with the golden brown wooden handle of my garden rake induced the frog to jump onto the sturdy tool. As I lowered the rake, the frog jumped onto the concrete stoop and immediately discolored from light green to dull gray.

As my visitor’s home probably was sited either in the willow (Salix spp.) grove on the creek’s south banks or along the vernal pool slightly east of the grove, I nudged him into a tin pail and transported him to the south bank. Pausing slightly, my froggy guest traced a graceful arc in his leap across the creek and into the underbrush.

gray tree frogs, Macoun Marsh, Ottawa, South East Ontario, east central Canada: Leveilleee, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Two male Eastern Gray Tree Frogs display camouflage abilities; Friday, June 19, 2009, 14:57: Dustykid, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2GreyTreeFrogs.JPG

gray tree frogs, Macoun Marsh, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Leveilleee, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray_treefrogs_at_Macoun_Marsh.jpg

For further information:

Capranica, Robert R., and Anne J.M. Moffat. “Neurobehavioral Correlates of Sound Communication in Anurans.” Pages 701 – 730. In: Jorg-Peter Ewert, ed., Advances in Vertebrate Neuroethology. NATO ASI (Advanced Study Institute) Series A: Life Sciences, Vol. 56. New York: Plenum Press, 1983.

Elliott, Lang, Carl Gerhardt, and Carlos Davidson. The Frogs and Toads of North America: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Identification, Behavior, and Calls. Boston MA and New York NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009.

“Gray Treefrog Hyla versicolor.” Virginia Herpetological Society > Amphibians > Frogs and Toads.
Available @ http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/amphibians/frogsandtoads/gray-treefrog/gray_treefrog.php

Marriner, Derdriu. "Gray Tree Frogs: Garden Gate Icons and Keystone North American Species." Earth and Space News. Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2015/02/gray-tree-frogs-garden-gate-icons-and.html

Mueller, Lee A. “Hyla versicolor Gray Treefrog.” Animal Diversity Web. Last updated April 22, 2006.
Available @ http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Hyla_versicolor/

"The 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map." The National Gardening Association > Gardening Tools > Learning Library USDA Hardiness Zone > USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Available @ https://garden.org/nga/zipzone/2012/

Sallie Ann Jarrett: Brave Dog Mascot of 11th Pennsylvania Infantry

Summary: Sallie Ann Jarrett, a brindle American Staffordshire Terrier, was 11th Pennsylvania Infantry's mascot. The 11th's Gettysburg monument includes her statue.

a place where Sallie Ann peacefully watches over her regiment for eternity; 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry monument at Gettysburg, central Adams County, south central Pennsylvania, includes bronze statue memorializing Sallie Ann Jarrett; Friday, Nov. 11, 2005: RFM57, CC BY SA 2.5 Generic, via Wikimedia Commons

Confederate and Union soldiers eased challenges -- ranging from the boredom of camp life to the terrors of battlefields -- of the War Between the States (April 12, 1861–May 9, 1895), also known as the American Civil War, by incorporating animals as pets into the rigors of military life and by designating animals as their regimental mascots.

Animal mascots and pets inspired their regiments with their courage, loyalty and stamina.

A diversity of animals served as regimental mascots and pets, including: bear, dogs, camel, donkey and raccoons.

The 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, active from April 26, 1881, to July 1, 1865, numbers among regiments featuring a canine mascot.

From May 4 to May 27, the recently recruited regiment, under the command of Colonel Phaon Jarrett (Feb. 9, 1809–Sept. 10, 1876), was assigned to Camp Wayne. The infantry training ground was located near West Chester, in southeastern Pennsylvania.

A brindle American Staffordshire Terrier endeared herself to the regiment as a four-week old spring puppy gifted in May 1861 by a resident of West Chester.

The regiment named the pup Sallie Ann Jarrett to honor both a West Chester belle and the 11th’s first colonel, Phaon Jarrett.

Also known as Amstaff, the medium-sized American dog breed belongs to the dog type commonly known as pit bulls, bred to combine bulldog strength with terrier agility.

Amstaff presents a stocky outline and moves with a springy gait. High-set ears, muscular build, and well-arched feet contribute to alert, strong, and agile grace.

American Staffordshire Terriers model a range of coat colors, including brindle, an attractive brown or tawny streaked with other colors.

Sallie Ann became an integral part of her regiment by learning bugle calls and drum rolls. She participated in dress parades, drills and marches. Sallie Ann positioned herself at front lines on battlefields. She also ventured onto battlefield to guard the regiment’s wounded and dead.

Steadfastly participating in all regimental campaigns, Sallie accompanied her regiment to Gettysburg, in southeastern Pennsylvania, where the war’s bloodiest battle raged from July 1 to July 3, 1863. On the first day, Sallie Ann became separated from her regiment during the massive retreat of Union forces from positions in the west and north to Cemetery Hill in the borough's southeast. Noting her absence, her regiment despaired that she had perished.

At the end of the bloody battle, Sallie Ann was discovered guarding fallen companions on Oak Ridge, the site of original defense by her regiment, located southwest of Harrisburg Road, the northeastern entry into Gettysburg.

As a fearless canine soldier, Sallie Ann finally was felled on the front line Feb. 6, 1865, during the Battle of Hatcher’s Run by a bullet piercing her brain. The battle, fought from Feb. 5 to 7, was launched as part of Union forces’ Richmond-Petersburg Campaign (June 9, 1864–March 25, 1865) to sever Confederate supply lines.

Five days after the battle, a member of the regiment recorded that fellow soldiers on the front line, despite enduring “a murderous fire,” ceased fighting long enough to bury their beloved mascot on the spot where she was felled.

Less than two months later, the War Between the States officially ended with the issuance of a proclamation Tuesday, May 9, by 17th U.S. President Andrew Johnson (Dec. 29, 1808-July 31, 1875).

The regimental monument dedicated Sept. 3, 1890, by veterans of Sallie Ann’s regiment at Gettysburg includes a life-size bronze likeness of 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry’s beloved, brave mascot on a granite pedestal in a place of honor at the monument’s front.

The bronze statues of an infantry soldier and of Sallie were created by sculptor Edward A. Kretschman (Aug. 27, 1847-ca. 1923). The statues were cast by Bureau Brothers Foundry of Philadelphia.

The monument is sited on Oak Ridge, where Sallie Ann had comforted and watched over dead and dying members of her regiment throughout the three days of the Battle of Gettysburg.

female brindle American Staffordshire Terrier; Monday, Feb. 22, 2010: MustelaVision, CC BY 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

a place where Sallie Ann peacefully watches over her regiment for eternity; 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry monument at Gettysburg, central Adams County, south central Pennsylvania, includes bronze statue memorializing Sallie Ann Jarrett; Friday, Nov. 11, 2005: RFM57, CC BY SA 2.5 Generic, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:11TH_PVI.jpg

female brindle American Staffordshire Terrier; Monday, Feb. 22, 2010: MustelaVision, CC BY 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons@ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_staffordshire_terrier_Mitra.jpg

For further information:

“Animal Mascots of the Civil War.” City of Alexandria Virginia > Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site. Updated May 12, 2013.
Available @ http://alexandriava.gov/historic/fortward/default.aspx?id=40198#1

Fulmer, Tim. “11th Pennsylvania Infantry Regimental Monument.” Gettysburg Sculptures.
Available @ http://www.gettysburgsculptures.com/11th_pennsylania_infantry_monument

Grier, Katherine C. Pets in America: A History. Chapel Hill NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2006.

Marriner, Derdriu. "Dying Young on July 3rd 1863: Accidental Death of Jennie Wade on Last Day of Battle of Gettysburg." Wizzley.
Available @ https://wizzley.com/dying-young-on-july-3rd-1863-accidental-death-of-jennie-wade-on-last-day-of-battle-of-gettysburg/

Marriner, Derdriu. "Father William Corby of the Irish Brigade: Absolution for All During the Battle of Gettysburg." Wizzley.
Available @ https://wizzley.com/father-william-corby-of-the-irish-brigade-absolution-for-all-during-the-battle-of-gettysburg/

Marriner, Derdriu. "From Unknown to Known Soldier at Gettysburg: Amos Humiston Clutched Image of His 3 Kids as He Died." Wizzley.
Available @ https://wizzley.com/from-unknown-to-known-soldier-at-gettysburg-amos-humiston-clutched-image-of-his-3-kids-as-he-died/

Marriner, Derdriu. "Life Without Amos: Philinda Humiston and Her Three Children After the Battle of Gettysburg." Wizzley.
Available @ https://wizzley.com/life-without-amos-philinda-humiston-and-her-three-children-after-the-battle-of-gettysburg/

Noyalas, Jonathan A. “’The Old Eleventh’: A Short History of the 11th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry.” 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry > Unit History.
Available @ http://11thpvisallieann.com/history_unit.php

Stouffer, Cindy, and Shirley Cubbison. A Colonel, a Flag, and a Dog. Gettysburg PA: Thomas Publications, 1998.

"A Tribute to the Dogs of the American Civil War." Loyalty of Dogs > Read Poster Tribute.
Available @ http://www.loyaltyofdogs.com/ReadPosterTribute.htm

Kiwa tyleri: Antarctic Yeti Crab Known Commonly as The Hoff

Summary: Kiwa tyleri is a yeti crab, a newly discovered family of deep-sea crabs. Found near Antarctica, Kiwa tyleri is named The Hoff after actor David Hasselhoff.

Dense communities of Kiwa tyleri congregate at E9 chimney, southern branch of East Scotia Ridge, at depth of around 7874 feet (2400 meters); Alex D. Rogers et al., "The Discovery of New Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Communities in the Southern Ocean and Implications for Biogeography," PLoS Biology, vol. 10, issue 1 (published Jan. 3, 2012), Figure 2E: CC BY 2.5 Generic, via Wikimedia Commons

Kiwa tyleri is the third species in a new family of deep-sea crabs discovered in the 21st century.

The genus name, Kiwa, and the family name, Kiwaidae, honor a Polynesian goddess of crustaceans.

The first species, Kiwa hirsuta (Latin: hirsuta, “hairy, shaggy”), was discovered in March 2005 on the periphery of the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge’s deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the southeastern Pacific.

The second species, Kiwa puravida, was discovered in 2006 at a deep-sea cold seep, or vent, off Costa Rica.

Kiwa tyleri, namesake of British deep-sea and polar biologist Professor Paul Tyler of England's University of Southampton, was discovered in January and February 2010 at depths of 7874 to 8530 feet (2400 to 2600 meters) in the East Scotia Ridge in the South Atlantic and Southern oceans between South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

The Kiwaidae are placed, along with two other families (Chirostylidae, Eumunididae), in the Chirostylidea, one of two superfamilies of squat lobsters.

Although superficially similar to true lobsters (Homaridae, Nephropidae families), squat lobsters feature dorsoventral (back to belly) flattening and hold their fifth pair of appendages curled under their thorax.

According to DNA sequence data, Kiwaidae’s superfamily is related more closely to the Hippoidea superfamily of mole crabs and the Paguoidea superfamily of hermit and king crabs. Kiwaidae's superfamily is related more distantly to the Galatheoidea superfamily, which consists of one family of porcelain crabs and three families of squat lobsters.

With their prominent feature of a furry appearance produced by dense coverings of bristles, known as setae (Latin: seta, "bristle"), on their appendages, Kiwa crabs are known commonly in English as yeti crabs, after the Himalayas' legendary Abominable Snowman, known as Yeti (Nepali: himamānav, "mountain man").

Kiwa tyleri’s common name of The Hoff honors actor, musician, and producer David Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), famed as hairy-chested actor and producer of action drama television series, Baywatch.

The Hoff thrives in the highly restricted habitat of geothermally heated hydrothermal vents. Steep temperature changes reach a maximum outflow temperature of 716 degrees Fahrenheit (380.2 degrees Celsius).

Communities cluster in high densities of over 700 individuals per square meter at two isolated sites, as the frigid temperatures of the surrounding polar waters, registering at about 32 to 29 degrees F (0.0 to minus 1.3 degrees C), preclude migration.

Only brooding females venture away from the adult refuge of vent chimneys to release larvae into the cold temperatures required for larval survival.

Kiwa tyleri individuals surmount the low-food debit of the deep-sea polar environment by feasting on dense bacterial mats that carpet vent chimneys.

Kiwa tyleri has a ghostly white appearance and features a bare carapace (French: carapace, "tortoise shell”; Portuguese: carapaça, "shell"), which is the upper, or dorsal, section of their exoskeleton, or shell.

Thick fields of bristles on its ventral, or belly, side -- which inspired the nickname of The Hoff by its discoverers -- facilitate harvesting bacterial mats from chimney vents for large-scale harboring on its own body as a ready-to-eat food source.

The Kiwa tyleri species exemplifies the astounding ability of wildlife to thrive even in seemingly unforgiving ecosystems.

As a newly discovered species also requiring the establishment of a new family, Kiwa tyleri reveals that human knowledge equates to drops in buckets, with the excitement of discovery an ever-present challenge as well as an unexpected gift.

female (left) and male (right) Kiwa tyleri on lower part of Dog's Head chimney complex, E2 hydrothermal vent, northerfemale (left) and male (right) Kiwa tyleri on lower part of Dog's Head chimney complex, E2 hydrothermal vent, northern branch of East Scotia Ridge; Sven Thatje et al., "Adaptations to Hydrothermal Vent Life in Kiwa tyleri, a New Species of Yeti Crab from the East Scotia Ridge, Antarctica," PLoS ONE, vol. 10, issue 6 (June 24, 2015), Figure 2B; credit University of Southampton: No usage restrictions, via EurekAlert!

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Dense communities of Kiwa tyleri congregate at E9 chimney, southern branch of East Scotia Ridge, at depth of around 7874 feet (2400 meters); Alex D. Rogers et al., "The Discovery of New Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Communities in the Southern Ocean and Implications for Biogeography," PLoS Biology, vol. 10, issue 1 (published Jan. 3, 2012), Figure 2E: CC BY 2.5 Generic, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dense_mass_of_anomuran_crab_Kiwa_around_deep-sea_hydrothermal_vent.jpg;
CC BY 4.0 International, via PLoS Biology @ https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article/figure?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1001234.g002; (PLoS Biology article URL @ https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1001234)

female (left) and male (right) Kiwa tyleri on lower part of Dog's Head chimney complex, E2 hydrothermal vent, northern branch of East Scotia Ridge; Sven Thatje et al., "Adaptations to Hydrothermal Vent Life in Kiwa tyleri, a New Species of Yeti Crab from the East Scotia Ridge, Antarctica," PLoS ONE, vol. 10, issue 6 (June 24, 2015), Figure 2B; credit University of Southampton: No usage restrictions, via EurekAlert! @ https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/880701 (EurekAlert! news release URL @ https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/659464);
CC BY 4.0 International, via PLoS ONE @ https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0127621; (PLoS ONE article URL @ http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0127621)

For further information:

“First species of yeti crab found in Antarctica named after British deep-sea biologist." Phys.org > Biology > Plants & Animals. June 24, 2015.
Available @ http://phys.org/news/2015-06-species-yeti-crab-antarctica-british.html

“’The Hoff’ Officially Named to the ‘Yeti Crab’ Species.” University Herald > Science. June 25, 2015.
Available @ http://www.universityherald.com/articles/20390/20150625/the-hoff-officially-named-to-the-yeti-crab-species.htm

Macpherson Enrique, William Jones, and Michel Segonzac M. "A new squat lobster family of Galatheoidea (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura) from the hydrothermal vents of the PacificAntarctic Ridge." Zoosystema, vol. 27, no. 4 (Dec. 30, 2005): 709-723.
Available via Digital.CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Spanish National Research Council) @ http://digital.csic.es/bitstream/10261/42060/1/Zoosystema%202005.pdf
Available via SciencePress (Scientific Publications of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris) @ http://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/en/periodiques/zoosystema/27/4/une-nouvelle-famille-de-galatheoidea-crustacea-decapoda-anomura-dessources-hydrothermales-de-la-dorsale-pacifique-antarctique

Marsh, Leigh, Jonathan T. Copley, Paul A. Tyler, and Sven Thatje. “In hot and cold water: differential life-history traits are key to success in contrasting thermal deep-sea environments.” Journal of Animal Ecology, vol. 84, no. 4 (July 2015): 898–913.
Available via Wiley Online Library @ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2656.12337/full

Morse, Felicity. “The Hoff, a Yeti Crab with a Very Hairy Chest, Discovered in Deep Sea Vent.” The Huffington Post United Kingdom. June 25, 2015.
Available @ http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/01/04/the-hoff-yeti-crab-with-hairy-chest-ocean-volcanic-vent_n_1183011.html

Nevala, Amy E. “What’s white, long-armed, shaggy – but not abominable?” Oceanus Magazine, vol. 45, no. 2 (August 2006): 11.
Available via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1559554

Palumbi, Stephen R., and Anthony R. Palumbi. The Extreme Life of the Sea. Princeton NJ; Woodstock UK: Princeton University Press, 2014.

Poore, Gary C.B., Shane T. Ahyong, and Joanne Taylor, eds. The Biology of Squat Lobsters. Collingwood AU: CSIRO Publishing, 2011.

Rogers, Alex D., et al. “The Discovery of New Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Communities in the Southern Ocean and Implications for Biogeography.” PLOS Biology 10(1): e1001234. Jan. 3, 2012.
Available via National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) @ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3250512/
Available via PLOS ONE @ http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1001234

Swan, Noelle. “How a blind, bristled, heat-loving yeti crab thrives in frigid Antarctica.” The Christian Science Monitor > Science. June 25, 2015.
Available @ http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0625/How-a-blind-bristled-heat-loving-yeti-crab-thrives-in-frigid-Antarctica

Thatje, Sven, Leigh Marsh, Christopher Nicolai Roterman, Mark N. Mavrogordato and Katrin Linse. “Adaptations to Hydrothermal Vent Life in Kiwa tyleri, a New Species of Yeti Crab from the East Scotia Ridge, Antarctica.” PLOS ONE 10(6): e0127621. Published June 24, 2015.
Available via PLOS ONE @ http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0127621

Thurber, Arthur R. “The crabs that live where hot and cold collide.” Journal of Animal Ecology, vol. 84, no. 4 (July 2015): 889–891.
Available via Wiley Online Library @ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2656.12398/full

Thurber, Andrew R., William J. Jones & Kareen Schnabel. "Dancing for food in the deep sea: bacterial farming by a new species of yeti crab." PLOS ONE 6 (11): e26243. Published Nov. 30, 2011.
Available via PLOS ONE @ http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0026243

Undulatus Asperatus: Newly Discovered Cloud Reminiscent of Choppy Seas

Summary: Undulatus Asperatus, a newly discovered cloud formation, may be the first addition to the International Cloud Atlas since 1951's cirrus intortus.

Jane Wiggins' photo that started movement for recognition of undulatus aspseratus, the people's cloud, as new cloud type: USA Today Weather @ usatodayweather, via Twitter June 22, 2015

Clouds are one of the most familiar, obvious and prevalent of the natural phenomena found within the boundaries of Earth, the Blue Planet that orbits as the third planet around the sun. Meteorologists, scientists who study the atmosphere, define a cloud as an atmospheric suspension of a visible mass of condensed or crystallized droplets of water above the surface of a planetary body.

The etymology of the word "cloud" harkens back to the Old English word clud, meaning "mass of rock." By the 12th century, during the High Middle Ages (11th to 13th centuries), the definition of clud had expanded metaphorically, due to perceived similarities between cumulus (Latin for "heap, mass") clouds and rock masses, to supplant the Old English word weolcan as the designation for the sky's water-based formations. The study of clouds, as a branch of meteorology, is known as nephology (Ancient Greek: νέφος, néphos, “cloud” + λόγος, lógos, “explanation”).

Most clouds and almost all weather occur in the troposphere, the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. The troposphere extends its bottom at the Earth's surface upward to its top, which varies in height according to latitude and season.

The troposphere generally exhibits an extension of 33,000 feet (10 kilometers; or 6.2 miles) upward from sea level. The troposphere measures its low of 23,000 feet (7 kilometers; or 4 miles) at polar latitudes in winter. Its high of 65,000 feet (20 kilometers; or, 12 miles) occurs near the equator in summer.

Cloud names reflect such characteristics as their height in the sky and their appearance, or texture.

Low-altitude clouds, which occur below 6,500 feet (1.98 kilometers), feature cumulo-/-cumulus (Latin: cumulus, "pile, heap") and/or strato-/-stratus (Latin: stratus, "spreading, layer") in their names.

Mid-altitude clouds, which occur between 6,500 feet (1.98 kilometers) and 20,000 feet (6 kilometers), are named with alto- (Latin: altus, "high, lofty") as prefix.

High-altitude clouds, which occur above about 20,000 feet (6 kilometers), are distinguished by names with cirro- (Latin: cirrus, "curl") as prefix.

Cloud classification consists of 10 basic genera by altitude of occurrence.

The world of clouds is documented in The International Cloud Atlas, first published in 1896 by the International Meteorological Organization and continued by its successor, the World Meteorological Organization. The WMO is an intergovernmental organization of the United Nations based in Geneva, in western Switzerland.

The most recent edition of the atlas was published in 1975. The last instance of a new entry recognizing a newly discovered cloud formation occurred in 1951 with the addition of cirrus intortus (Latin: cirrus, "curl" + intortus, "twisted, wound") to the cloud roster.

A recent cloud discovery may trigger and grace a new edition of the atlas. Undulatus asperatus (Latin: undulatus, "undulated, wavy" + intortus, "agitated, roughened") is currently under assessment by the WMO, with acceptance deemed to occur in 2015. Undulatus asperatus clouds appear to straddle low to middle altitudes, being found above and below 6,000 feet.

On June 20, 2006, Jane Wiggins, a paralegal who is an amateur photographer in east central Iowa, photographed low clouds, undulating with dark and light shadows against a green-yellow backdrop over downtown Cedar Rapids. Within 15 minutes of her photograph, the dramatic, massive formation dissipated.

Other images from around the globe joined Jane's searing image to inspire Gavin Pretor-Pinney, founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society and author of The Cloudspotter's Guide (2006), to name the formation and to seek official classification. Gavin's name choice of undulatus asperatus reflects the cloud's reminiscence of choppy seas. Gavin's nickname for the startling cloud is the Jacques Cousteau cloud, in honor of legendary underseas explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau (June 11, 1910-June 25, 1997).

Although a rare phenomenon with only recent documentation, undulatus asperatus clouds are not necessarily emblematic of underlying conditions, such as climate change. Gavin credits the recent awareness of the unusual formation's existence to easy availability of a plethora of portable, high-quality photographic devices in the technologically savvy 21st century. Despite their sometimes menacing, spectacular appearance, undulatus asperatus clouds do not function as storm harbingers.

According to research conducted by Graeme Anderson for his 2010 dissertation in the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading in south east England, undulatus asperatus clouds seem to form in the conditions that produce mammatus (Latin: mamma, "breast, udder") clouds. Mammatus clouds, also known as mammatocumulus, are characterized by puffy, smooth pouches hanging from a cloud base and are formed in environments of moisture, sharp temperature gradients and wind shear (difference in wind direction and speed).

As with mammatus clouds, the WMO may view undulatus asperatus as a cloud supplementary feature.

Whatever the official outcome, the photographs of undulatus asperatus and the ensuing information gathering serve as inspiring spotlights on the dedication and efficacy of citizen science, also known as crowd-sourced science, which refers to contributions to science made by the general public.

Undulatus asperatus shines as the people's cloud.

Cloud genus classification by altitude of occurrence: Valentin de Bruyn/Coton, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Jane Wiggins' photo that started movement for recognition of undulatus aspseratus, the people's cloud, as new cloud type: USA Today Weather @ usatodayweather, via Twitter June 22, 2015, @ https://twitter.com/usatodayweather/status/612984084915167233

cloud genus classification by altitude of occurrence: Valentin de Bruyn/Coton, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons @ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cloud_types_en.svg

For further information:

“Cloud Classification and Characteristics.” NOAA National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office/Louisville, KY.
Available @ http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lmk/?n=cloud_classification

Crumb, Michael J. “Iowa woman’s photo sparks push for new cloud type.” Phys.org > Earth > Earth Sciences. June 12, 2009.
Available @ http://phys.org/news163990239.html

“Have You Spotted an Asperatus Cloud?” The Cloud Appreciation Society. Sept. 28, 2012.
Available @ http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/asperatus-clouds-in-the-headlines/

Lobello, Carmel. "Photos of undulatus asperatus, the first crowd-sourced cloud." Death and Taxes. Sept. 24, 2012.
Available @ http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/188904/photos-of-undulatus-asperatus-the-first-crowd-sourced-cloud/

O’Callaghan, Jonathan. “Will this be the first new cloud type in 60 years? ‘Undulatus asperatus’ seeks official classification in international atlas.” Daily Mail > Science. Dec. 18, 2014.
Available @ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2878855/Could-new-cloud-type-60-years-Undulatus-asperatus-seeks-official-classification-international-atlas.html

Schueth, Alex. "Undulatus Asperatus." YouTube. July 9, 2014.
Available @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz7BgxrVmiQ

“The Troposphere – Overview.” UCAR Center for Science Education.
Available @ https://scied.ucar.edu/shortcontent/troposphere-overview

USA TODAY Weather‏ @usatodayweather. "ICYMI: 'New' cloud hopes to have its day in the sun. #asperatus #undulatus." Twitter. June 22, 2015.
Available @ https://twitter.com/usatodayweather/status/612984084915167233

Virginia Independent Cities: US Rarity With Three Outside of Virginia

Summary: Virginia independent cities number 38 in 2015, accounting for 95% of US total of 41. Only three are outside of Virginia: Baltimore, Carson City, St. Louis.

sunrise at the independent city of Virginia Beach, southeastern coastal Virginia: Rae Karen Hauck, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

An independent city constitutes a primary form of local government below the state level. An independent city is a governmental entity responsible for its own administration. An independent city incorporates as a jurisdictional unit that, despite geographic proximity, is separate and distinct from any counties.

The number of independent cities in the United States currently totals 41. Thirty-eight are located in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Three independent cities are located outside of Virginia: Baltimore, Maryland; Carson City, Nevada; and St. Louis, Missouri.

Of this non-Virginia trio, Baltimore is the largest in population, with a 2014 U.S. Census Bureau estimate at 622,793, but is the second largest in size, estimated at 80.94 square miles in 2010.

St. Louis is the second largest in population, with a 2014 estimate of 318,416, but is the smallest in size, estimated at 61.91 square miles in 2010.

Carson City has the smallest population of the trio, with a 2014 U.S. Census Bureau estimated population of 54,522, but has the largest size, estimated at 144.66 square miles in 2010.

Virginia’s independent cities, which numbered 41 by the late 20th century, total 38 in 2015.

Three independent cities relinquished their unique status and reverted to town status to rejoin the counties in which they are sited. In 1995, South Boston in the commonwealth’s south central region rejoined Halifax County. In 2001, Clifton Forge in the southwest rejoined Alleghany County. In 2013, Bedford, also in the southwest, rejoined Bedford County.

Located on the Atlantic Ocean in America’s First Region in the southeast, Virginia Beach is the independent city with the largest population, estimated in 2014 at 450,980, and also is the commonwealth’s most populous city.

Located in the Appalachians of southwestern Virginia, Norton ranks as the least populous independent city, estimated in 2014 at 4,031.

Located on the Great Dismal Swamp shared by southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, Suffolk encompasses the largest area, estimated in 2010 at 400.17 square miles. Drained by two watersheds, Cameron Run and Four Mile Run, in Northern Virginia, Falls Church represents the smallest area, estimated in 2010 at 2.0 square miles.

From the commonwealth’s first incorporated city of Williamsburg in 1722 to cosmopolitan Richmond in 1842 and peninsular Poquoson (pəˈkoʊsən) in 1975, Virginia’s independent cities present a fascinating array of history and landscapes. Checking each unique independent city off a list of must-see places is one of many rewarding ways to organize sightseeing and travel in the Old Dominion.

Virginia’s independent cities
Alexandria;
Bristol; Buena Vista;
Charlottesville; Chesapeake; Colonial Heights; Covington;
Danville;
Emporia;
Fairfax; Falls Church; Franklin; Fredericksburg;
Galax;
Hampton; Harrisonburg; Hopewell;
Lexington; Lynchburg;
Manassas; Manassas Park; Martinsville;
Newport News; Norfolk; Norton;
Petersburg; Poquoson; Portsmouth;
Radford; Richmond; Roanoke;
Salem; Staunton; Suffolk;
Virginia Beach;
Waynesboro; Williamsburg; Winchester

Appalachian beauty of Norton, Southwest Virginia; Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012, 12:20: Eli Christman (Gamma Man), CC BY 2.0 Generic, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

sunrise at the independent city of Virginia Beach, southeastern coastal Virginia: Rae Karen Hauck, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sunrise_Virginia_Beach.jpg

Appalachian beauty of Norton, Southwest Virginia; Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012, 12:20: Eli Christman (Gamma Man), CC BY 2.0 Generic, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Norton,_Virginia.jpg;
Eli Christman (Gamma Man), CC BY 2.0 Generic, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/gammaman/7803825198/

For further informaation:

“Baltimore city, Maryland.” United States Census Bureau > State & County QuickFacts.
Available @ http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/24/24510.html

Baumgarten, Linda, and Kimberly Smith Ivey. Four Centuries of Quilts: The Colonial Williamsburg Collection. Williamsburg VA: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 2014.

“Carson City, Nevada.” United States Census Bureau > State & County QuickFacts.
Available @ http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/32/32510.html

“Falls Church city, Virginia.” United States Census Bureau > State & County QuickFacts.
Available @ http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51/51610.html

Grundset, Eric G. Historical Boundary Atlas of Virginia’s Tidewater and Chesapeake Counties. Fairfax VA: Eric G. Grundset, 1999.

The Hornbook of Virginia History. “Cities of Virginia.” Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. 22 Jan. 2014.
Available @ http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Cities_of_Virginia#start_entry

“Norton city, Virginia.” United States Census Bureau > State & County QuickFacts.
Available @ http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51/51720.html

“St. Louis (city), Missouri.” United States Census Bureau > State & County QuickFacts.
Available @ http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/29/2965000.html

“Suffolk city, Virginia.” United States Census Bureau > State & County QuickFacts.
Available @ http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51/51800.html

“Virginia Cities and Towns.” Virginia Places.
Available @ http://www.virginiaplaces.org/vacities/

Martian New Year and Summer Solstice 2015: Happy New Year From Mars

Summary: The Martian New Year on June 18, coincides with Mars' northern hemisphere spring equinox and happens three days before Earth's 2015 summer solstice.

Mars Daily Global Surveyor Image from April 1999; bluish-white water clouds above the Martian western hemisphere's equatorially-centered vast volcanic plateau; computer generated image was created by wrapping a sphere with a global map comprising "a mosaic of 24 images taken on a single northern summer day in April 1999" (PIA02066: Global Weather); image addition date 2000-09-08; image credit NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS: "PIA02653 Mars Daily Global Image from April 1999," May be used for any purpose without prior permission, via NASA JPL Photojournal

As the fourth planet from the Sun and the second smallest planet, after Mercury, in the Solar System, Mars requires the equivalent of about 687 Earth days to complete its orbit around the Sun. One Martian year equals 1.8809 Earth years, or 1 year 320 days 18.2 hours.

The Red Planet’s New Year coincides with an important Martian seasonal event, its northern hemisphere spring equinox. Reckoning of the Martian New Year started with the assignment of the Northern spring equinox of April 11, 1955, as Year One. According to this system, 2015 rings in Martian Year 33.

In 2015, the Martian New Year falls on Thursday, June 18, which occurs three days prior to an important terrestrial seasonal event, the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice.

A solstice (Latin: solstitium, “sun standing still”; from sol, “sun” + sistere, “to stop, to make stand still”) signifies the southernmost or northernmost latitude of distance away from the equator at which the sun appears directly overhead.

In the Northern Hemisphere the sun’s zenith, or highest point in the sky, occurs in June. The maximum tilting of the North Pole, at about 23.5 degrees toward the sun, takes place over the Tropic of Cancer, presently at 23°26’14.2” north latitude.

In the Southern Hemisphere the sun’s zenith occurs in December. The maximum tilting of the North Pole, at about minus 23.5 degrees away from the sun, takes place over the Tropic of Capricorn, presently at 23°26’14.2” south latitude.

The date for the northern summer solstice, which occurs oppositely as the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, varies annually between June 20 and June 22. In 2015, the northern summer solstice takes place Sunday, June 21, at 16:38 Coordinated Universal Time (12:38 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time in North America).

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which currently is focusing on capabilities for launching a manned mission to Mars by the 2030s, is celebrating Mars Year 33 with a three day extravaganza of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) activities from Friday, June 19, through Sunday, June 21, at coordinates 40.6967 degrees north 80.0122 degrees west in downtown Mars, Pennsylvania.
On March 6, 1895, Mars was incorporated as a borough in southern Butler County in the Keystone State’s west central region. The origin of the borough’s unusual name is unclear.

A popular year-round roadside attraction in Mars is a replica of a spaceship in the town park at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Pittsburgh Street, across from Mars National Bank. The small park also features the bell from the USS Mars (AFS-1), the borough's namesake laid down May 5, 1962, as one of seven Mars-class combat stores ships. On July 15, 2006, USS Mars was sunk about 54 nautical miles (62 miles; 100 kilometers) off the coast of Oahu as a Sink Exercise (SINKEX) target during the Rim of the Pacific Exercise. Held biannually since 1971, RIMPAC is the world's largest international maritime exercise.

Future New Year dates for Mars include Friday, May 5, 2017; Saturday, March 23, 2019; and Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021.

Mars New Year 33 Festival
Information concerning the 2015 festival, which represents a collaborative educational and community venture by NASA and Mars, Pennsylvania, should be directed to:
David E. Steitz, NASA Headquarters-Washington DC; phone: 202-358-1730; email: david.steitz@nasa.gov;
Sara DiBello, Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau, Zelienople, Pennsylvania; phone: 724-234-4619; email: sara@visitbutlercounty.com

festival website: http://www.marsnewyear.com

flying saucer statue constructed ca. 1990s from two oil tanks, 100 Pittsburgh Street, southeastern Mars, southern Butler County, west central Pennsylvania; Sunday, May 20, 2012, 13:47:17: John Dawson (jmd41280), CC BY ND 2.0 Generic, via Flickr

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Mars Daily Global Surveyor Image from April 1999; bluish-white water clouds above the Martian western hemisphere's equatorially-centered vast volcanic plateau; computer generated image was created by wrapping a sphere with a global map comprising "a mosaic of 24 images taken on a single northern summer day in April 1999" (PIA02066: Global Weather); image addition date 2000-09-08; image credit NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS: "PIA02653 Mars Daily Global Image from April 1999," May be used for any purpose without prior permission, via NASA JPL Photojournal @ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02653

flying saucer statue constructed ca. 1990s from two oil tanks, 100 Pittsburgh Street, southeastern Mars, southern Butler County, west central Pennsylvania; Sunday, May 20, 2012, 13:47:17: John Dawson (jmd41280), CC BY ND 2.0 Generic, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmd41280/7237839384

For further information:

Dickinson, David. “Ringing in the Martian New Year on Earth.” Sen > Solar System. June 18, 2015.
Available @ http://sen.com/news/ringing-in-the-martian-new-year-on-earth

“June Solstice: Longest and Shortest Day of the Year.” Time and Date > Sun & Moon.
Available @ http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/june-solstice.html

“Mars Fact Sheet.” National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA > NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive (NSSDCA) > Solar System Exploration > Lunar and Planetary Science > Planetary Fact Sheets.
Available @ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/marsfact.html

“NASA Celebrates Martian New Year in Mars, Pennsylvania.” National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA > All Topics A-Z > Journey to Mars. June 15, 2015; last updated June 19, 2015.
Available @ http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-celebrates-martian-new-year-in-mars-pennsylvania

“Plan Your Voyage to Downtown Mars, PA.” Mars New Year > Event map and schedule.
Available @ http://www.marsnewyear.com/uploads/2/5/4/5/25451242/june_5_mars_new_years_map_(4).pdf