The phenomenon known as “container clouds” has recently been widely discussed on social media. This term is often associated with extreme weather conditions and rain that triggers various health complaints, ranging from skin rashes and sore eyes to the appearance of foam in rainwater collected by residents.
Sonni Setiawan, SSi, MSi, from the Department of Geophysics and Meteorology at IPB University, emphasized that the term “container cloud” is not recognized in meteorology and is more of a misunderstanding in interpreting atmospheric phenomena.
Based on the claims and narratives circulating on social media, he noted that there is a misunderstanding in understanding the process of rain formation, particularly during the initial stages of precipitation.
“My conclusion is that there is a misunderstanding of the precipitation process, especially at the nucleation stage or the formation of condensation nuclei,” he said in response to the viral phenomenon of container clouds.
Sonny explained that rain that causes complaints such as itchy skin, sore eyes, or the formation of foam in collected rainwater is not caused by a specific type of cloud, but is related to the phenomenon of acid rain.
“Acid rain occurs due to pollutant gases in the air that act as condensation nuclei, which then dissolve in rainwater. Especially in areas with high levels of air pollution, the potential for acid rain is indeed greater,” he explained.
Regarding the use of the term “container cloud” by a number of content creators, Sonni considered the term to be more of a subjective point of view and without scientific basis.
“To date, there is no term or concept in meteorology that refers to the existence of ‘container clouds’ as you mean,” he said.
According to him, clouds naturally move and change shape according to atmospheric dynamics. The assumption that there are clouds that appear rigid or immobile most likely arises from visual observations that are very limited in a short period of time.
“When clouds are said to be motionless or unchanged in shape, it is usually based only on momentary observations with the naked eye, when in fact clouds are constantly changing physically,” he said.
He also responded to claims linking the phenomenon to aircraft trails in the sky. According to Sonni, the straight lines that are often seen are actually aircraft condensation trails or contrails.
“It is water vapor from the combustion of aircraft fuel. When it is in a cold layer of air, the water vapor cools and condenses, so it appears as a straight line in the sky,” he explained.
However, he emphasized that the trail was not permanent. “If observed carefully, within a few minutes the shape will spread and become irregular. This indicates an error in observation that could lead to incorrect conclusions,” he said.
Concluding his explanation, Sonni reminded the public to be more critical in responding to viral weather information on social media and not to easily associate atmospheric phenomena with terms or claims that have no scientific basis. (AS) (IAAS/HNY)
