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Nacreous clouds, sometimes called mother-of-pearl clouds, are a rare and visually striking type of cloud with a surprising connection to our climate. These clouds form at very high altitudes, predominantly in polar regions during winter. Characterized by a stunning iridescent appearance, they form in the polar stratosphere under extremely low temperatures and consist of ice crystals that diffract sunlight — that’s what creates the vivid, rainbow-esque colors in the sky. Besides their aesthetic appeal, nacreous clouds play a destructive role in atmospheric chemistry, particularly in the depletion of the ozone layer, as they contribute to the formation of the ozone hole above Antarctica.
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