Question & Answer

Question & Answer

Q: How are lenticular clouds formed?

The Answer

Last update 2022.07.02

Lenticular clouds usually form for orographic reasons, that is, they arise behind barriers. During its movement along the surface of the earth, air may encounter some obstacles and natural terrain (such as mountains or hills), or artificial structures (such as buildings), where these obstacles lead to Disruption of air flow turns its movement into vortices, and turbulence areas arise at these obstacles.

When stable moist air flows over a larger eddy, such as that caused by mountains, a series of broad standing waves forms on the leeward side of the mountain, and if the temperature at the crest of the wave drops below the local dew point, moisture may condense in air to form lenticular clouds.

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How are lenticular clouds formed?