Linticular Over the Panamints
by Mike Lee
Title
Linticular Over the Panamints
Artist
Mike Lee
Medium
Photograph - Digital
Description
The Panamint Range is a “fault block” mountain range (formed by tectonic forces) that prominently stands above Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park. On this early January morning, sunrise was a bit of a “bust” due to low clouds initially covering the sun. But my wife and I waited a bit for the sun to rise above that low cloud deck. As we waited, we watched this lenticular cloud forming over the range (and could see what had been several others that had formed and were moving off to the northwest as they began to break up). I captured this frame as the sun finally showed itself and lit the beautiful cloud and some of the Panamint ridge line.
Lenticular clouds are formed when flowing air reaches an obstruction such as a mountain or tall building and forms an eddy current on the windward side and “standing waves” on the leeward side of that obstruction. When moisture is introduced and the air temp is below the dew point the moisture condenses and the standing wave currents create “wave clouds.” As the process continues it produces updrafts and each of the waves stack up to form these interesting clouds (which get their name from the Latin “lenticular” for lentil and if you look at a picture of a lentil it makes sense).
Uploaded
February 2nd, 2023
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Comments (7)
Allan Van Gasbeck
Congratulations! Your outstanding artwork has been chosen as a FEATURE in the “The Gray Scale Outdoors” group on Fine Art America — You are invited to post your featured image to the featured image discussion thread as a permanent place to continue to get exposure even after the image is no longer on the Home Page.