The recent strong winds from out of
the west help generate some very impressive lenticular clouds. These
are the “flying saucer” shaped clouds that form from time to time
around Tehachapi. OK, they can form elsewhere, but we do get our
share.
The reason we get them here is the
combination of wind and mountains. As the wind comes through we get
the wind going up the sides of the mountain (orographic lifting, if
you want a fancy term for it) and then forming waves in the
atmosphere. These are called “standing” waves because they sort
of stay in one place. Which isn't to say that the air is staying in
place, it is wind after all. But certain peaks and troughs, invisible
though they are, form in the air flow.
And it is this that allows the air to
rise high enough to reach the dew point and have clouds begin to
form. That's why we get lenticular clouds when we having moist air
blowing in off the ocean. The greater the humidity the lower the dew
point and the easier it is to get clouds forming. Then as the air
moves on it starts to drop down again the temperature rises above the
dew point and the cloud evaporates. This leaves just a spot where the
conditions are just right for the formation of the lenticular cloud.
And that what we see.
A cloud that is forming in one spot
and “dissolving” away from that spot. So it looks like it is just
standing there in one place.
Now, does understanding how these
clouds form decrease your appreciation for how pretty these cloud
formations are? It shouldn't. Perhaps if you've invested a lot of
mental energy in stories about flying saucers hiding in cloud
formations like this, I suppose it might. But for me, knowing how
they form and the specialness of the place they form (we are special
here aren't we?) increases my enjoyment of these remarkable clouds.
Which I think is a great way to look
at the world. Yes, you can just look at a flower and appreciate its
beauty. But you can also learn the name of the flower, which might
tell you more about what you're seeing. What is it related to? Why is
it growing here and not there? How is it pollinated?
There are so many things that you can
learn about the world that can deepen your appreciation of the world
we live in. So next time we get a lenticular cloud, don't just
look at it. But look around and see the curve of the mountains
that are helping it form. Feel the air for the humidity needed to
form those clouds. Put in a little effort to understand what it is
you're seeing. And the cloud will be all the more amazing.
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