Pattern Formation

Fingerprints of Convection

Individual convection cycles are refered to as convection cells. When many cells occur next to each other, a specific pattern will emerge. It's difficult to see movement in fluid by itself, but particles in a fluid and even clouds in the sky can give us clues as to how the fluid is moving.

Click the links below to...

...see what convection looks like under perfect conditions.
...discover the secrets behind some striking cloud patterns.