Sunday, April 7, 2013

Dramatic Shots of Lenticular Clouds


Alvord Desert, Oregon
Mostly seen above mountains or hills, lenticular clouds are extraordinary clouds that, due to their smooth, saucer-like shape, are often mistaken for UFOs. Lenticular clouds are formed when a current of moist air is forced upwards as it travels over a mountain, causing the moisture to condense and form a cloud.
They can appear as if they're sitting stationary, hovering above our planet in an unusual fashion for hours or even days. That's because the flow of moist air continually resupplies the cloud from the windward side even as water evaporates and vanishes from the leeward side.
Lenticular clouds are considered a rare sight, especially in areas where there are no mountains. For photographers, they're an incredible treat, especially when shot at a particular time of day. When the sun sets, one can witness a spectacular display as the clouds are lit with brilliant colors, almost as if someone had used a paintbrush and painted the sky. As Adamus said about the photo above, “Surreal, otherworldly, foreboding...perhaps a once in a lifetime combination of colors, shapes and textures. This awesome lenticular cloud formation occurred at sunset over Oregon's Alvord Desert in late December, ahead of an impending storm."
Compiled for you today, here are 20+ shots of dramatic lenticular clouds.
Above photo credit: Marc Adamus
Klyuchevskaya Sopka Mountain, East Russia

Photo credit: Dementievskiy Ivan

West Yorkshire, England

Photo credit: Steve Price
Oxenhope, Near Bradford, England

Photo credit: Brian Middelton
Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile

Photo credit: Christopher Dawson
Alabama Hills, Calfornia

Photo credit: James Neeley
Mount Dana, Yosemite Park, California

Photo credit: Tim Fitzharris
Mount Redentore, Italy

Photo credit: Alessio Andreani
Salar de Talar near San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Photo credit: Luca Galuzzi
Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

Photo credit: Steve Gould
Rangipo Desert, Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand

Photo credit: Bevan Percival
Mt Rainier, Washington, USA

Photo credit: James Clark
Queenstown, New Zealand

Photo credit: Trey Ratcliff
Lake Pukaki, New Zealand

Photo credit: Trey Ratcliff
Tararua Range Mountains, North Island, New Zealand

Photo credit: Chris Picking
Granada, The Alhambra And Sierra Nevada

Photo credit: Guido Montanes Castillo
Trail Ridge, Deer Mountain, Colorado

Photo credit: Richard Hahn
Roquetes, Catalonia, Spain

Photo credit: Marialuisa Wittlin
Lee Side of Rocky Mountains

Photo credit: Richard Hahn
Whitmore Hot Springs, California

Photo credit: Dave Toussaint
Palm Springs, California

Photo credit: Tom Lowe

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