The Authority created the Clouded Mountain long ago, and gathered clouds around it until it was hidden. It has since passed to Metatron, who not only rules it, but sustains it.The Amber Spyglass said:
The intensity of the clouds around the Clouded Mountain;The Amber Spyglass said:
The Amber Spyglass said:
The storms around the Clouded Mountain span the horizon in front of Lyra (though the sky is still clear behind her), and brings down intense rains at the whim of the one commanding it.The Amber Spyglass said:
Given that it creates a violent storm and is said to be miles high, it's pretty clearly a cumulonimbus sort, which on average are 11,000m tall. Standard distance to the horizon is 4.7km, or 4700m. Volume as a cylinder.The Amber Spyglass said:
V = πr2h
= π X 4700^2 X 11,000
= 7.63375599e11m^3
Density of a cloud is 1.003kg/m^3.
M = 7.63375599e11 X 1.003
= 765665725797kg
Looking at this storm scale, and the above descriptions of the clouds not parting for a second when high winds blow at them, and most aircrafts would get slammed to the ground instantly like a fly, then the storm would likely register as a violent storm, with wind speeds of 56 to 63 knots, or an average of 59 knots 30.3522222(m/s).
E = (0.5) X 765665725797 X 30.3522222^2
= 3.52687605e14 joules
Next for the rain that fell. It soaks Lyra and will within a minute, and the fall of the drops is described to sting like the fall of tiny stones, as well as being hurtling, which sounds like heavy rain (which would fit in with the rest of the storm too). Heavy rain is on average between 10 mm to 40 mm an hour, which averages at 25mm, or 0.025m.
A = πr^2
= π X 4700^2
= 69397781.7m^2
V = 69397781.7 X 0.025
= 1734944.54m^3
Water weighs 1000kg/m^3.
M = 1734944.54 X 1000
= 1734944540kg
Finally, for our energy. We'll add in the energy of the clouds being thrown around from earlier too.
E = 1734944540 X 2.5 X 10^6
= 4.33736135e15 + 3.52687605e14
= 4.69004896e15 joules
= 1.12094860421 megatons
Final Results
The Clouded Mountains storm system = 1.121 megatons
And the Authority and later Metatron constantly sustained this for thousands of years.