Parisian Sky: Glaciating Virga
December 23, 2020
Photographer: Bertrand Kulik
Summary Authors: Bertrand Kulik; Jim Foster
Shown above are glaciating cirrus clouds over Paris, France, as observed during the early afternoon hours of November 6, 2020. These clouds are made up of tiny ice crystals. If the crystals become large enough to fall, as is the case here, they’re said to be glaciating. But because they’re falling into a much drier layer of the atmosphere, they’ll sublimate before reaching the surface. The rather fuzzy vertical streaks beneath the base of the cirrus are the telltale sign that evaporation is occurring.
Photo Details: Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III; Software: Adobe Photoshop 22.0 (Windows); Exposure Time: 0.0020s (1/500); Aperture: ƒ/9.0; ISO equivalent: 400; Focal Length: 100.0mm; Lens: 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM