Lenticular Clouds and Their Essence: Let’s Figure It Out

How Lenticular Clouds Can Be Explained?

Lenticular clouds are a unique natural phenomenon. These clouds usually form around hills and mountains. They have a very unusual appearance, and there have been situations when this natural phenomenon inspired awe of the people. However, in reality, this is all nothing more than physics and the forces of nature combined into one.

The Process of Formation

Lenticular clouds form at a height of two to seven kilometers, as a rule, over mountains, hills, and near thunderstorm clouds. There is still no exact scientific explanation of their origin. It is believed that the cause is humid air, enveloping the top of the mountain, which leads to a sharp condensation and the subsequent origin of such a natural phenomenon. Lenticular clouds arise in regions with constant, moist, fast moving winds to create the necessary wind wave in the atmosphere. The appearance of lenticular clouds indicates that there are strong horizontal air flows in the atmosphere, forming waves over mountain obstacles, that the air content is high enough. This is usually associated with the approach of the atmospheric front or with the energetic transport of air from remote areas.

Where It Is Possible to See the Lenticular Clouds

Lenticular clouds form at high altitude between 2000 and 7000 meters. They often appear in areas with strong winds and high mountains. Lenticular clouds can also appear near plateau hills or over high hills, and sometimes near high thunderstorm clouds. They were photographed on every continent of the world, including Antarctica.

Dangerous or Not?

Lenticular clouds are not as harmless as they seem. They look beautiful and unusual, but they create a considerable danger for pilots and navigators of large planes, who try to avoid falling into such clouds, because there is a very high probability of turbulence.  At the same time, hang-gliders, on the contrary, are actively seeking lenticular clouds. This is explained by the fact that the atmospheric waves that cause the formation of such clouds also imply a powerful vertical movement of air, and the exact location of the ascending air masses is fairly easy to predict from the point of view of the location of the clouds. This is of considerable importance for hang gliders.

Lenticular clouds can be also predicted with modern scientific innovations. There is also a possibility for website owners and developers to stay constantly update with the integrated weather API.


Tags: Lenticular clouds, sky, mountains, hills, atmosphere, air, wind, turbulence


Pictures used in post taken from: Unsplash, Pexels


Category: Api


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