Towering Cumulonimbus Over Western Guatemala

February 17, 2017

AnvilCloud_Guatemala__DSC1302 (3)

February 2017 Viewer's Choice

Photographer: Sergio Emilio Montúfar Codoñer
Summary Authors: Sergio Emilio Montúfar Codoñer; Jim Foster

Shown above is a towering cumulonimbus cloud over western Guatemala, taken not long after sunset on January 15, 2017. I captured this attention-getting thunderhead from Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, about 9,850 ft (nearly 3,000 m) above the sea level -- the camera is facing south-southwest. I'm estimating the storm was approximately 50 (80 km) away, close to the summit of Volcán Santa María. It's massive top is spreading out along the tropopause, the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere, resulting in the mushroom-like shape. The lights of Malacatancito are in the mid-ground.

Photo Details: Camera Maker: SONY; Camera Model: ILCE-7; Lens: FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS; Focal Length: 60mm (35mm equivalent: 60mm); Aperture: ƒ/5.0; Exposure Time: 13.000 s; ISO equiv: 500; Software: Adobe Photoshop CC 2015.5 (Windows).