Lenticular Sunrise Over Virgin River Gorge
October 23, 2012
Photographer: Ronald L. Smith
Summary Authors: Ronald L. Smith; Jim Foster
The photo above showing a rousing sunrise replete with lenticular clouds was snapped over Virgin River Gorge, St. George, Utah. Reddened sunlight is illuminating this stretch of mid-level orographic clouds. Though it's not easy to see from this perspective, these clouds exhibit wave development. Water vapor within the wave layer condenses at the wave crest resulting in rather smooth, almond shaped cloud. Since these clouds are showing signs of layering (center of photo), it seems that sufficient moisture was available and the airflow was strong enough to induce stacking. Raywood ash trees frame the foreground. Photo taken on October 11, 2012.
Photo details: Camera Maker: NIKON CORPORATION; Camera Model: NIKON D3200; Focal Length: 36.0mm; Aperture: f/10.0; Exposure Time: 0.017 s (1/60); ISO equiv: 1600; Exposure Bias: none; Metering Mode: Matrix; Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto); Flash Fired: No; Orientation: Normal; Color Space: sRGB; Software: QuickTime 7.6.4.