Lenticular Cloud Over Tenerife, Canary Islands
October 22, 2015
Photographer: Jurgen Rendtel
Summary Author: Jurgen Rendtel
Shown above are two views of the same lenticular cloud, taken just a few minutes apart, over Tenerife in the Canary Islands of Spain. Clouds at different height levels approached the Canaries on stable but moist south winds, causing flows around the islands' highest peak, El Teide (12,198 ft or 3,718 m). The resulting mid-level atmospheric wave consequently formed a huge orographic cloud northeast (downwind) of the mountain. This lenticular cloud lasted for more than 12 hours, maintaining an almost constant shape and position. Note that the warm south winds also generated more dust than is usually observed at this site. Photo taken on September 21, 2015.
Photo Details: Canon EOS20; focal length 18mm. The first photo was snapped around 8 o’clock, shortly before sunset. The second photo was taken 12 minutes later when the setting Sun illuminated the cloud more from below.
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