Bizarre Cloud on the Sky of Turkey; Explained
Alaa Babiker
Our mother nature does not stop fascinating us with different types of phenomena all around the world. Therefore, there is no questioning of why it was called so “Mother Nature”. The beginning of new rare and bizarre natural wonders are all of it’s own original, without any interference from any other party, human or non-human.
The recent natural phenomena occurred in Turkey has caught my attention. The formation of a huge brown-reddish double-rounded shaped cloud, which appeared at the sky of Bursa in Turkey has got everyone wondering about it. Its fixed shape made some name it a UFO cloud, while its brown-reddish color made others believe it could be made of toxic substances. Nether of the two previous reasons are correct, it is simply called Lenticular Cloud, it is formed as a result of strong wind blowing over mountains, the color of a Lenticular Cloud is derived from the color of the mountain, if the air was blown over a snowed mountain the cloud takes White color, and if the air was blown over a rocky mountain, the cloud takes the color of that mountain. The mountains in Bursa at this time of the year when this cloud was formed, are of the same brown-reddish color of the cloud.
Lenticular clouds are stationary clouds that form mostly in the troposphere, typically in parallel alignment to the wind direction. They are often comparable in appearance to a lens or saucer. About their formations; as air travels along the surface of the Earth, obstructions are often encountered, including natural features, such as mountains or hills, and artificial structures, such as buildings and other constructions, which disrupt the flow of air into “eddies”, or areas of turbulence.
When moist, stable air flows over a larger eddy, such as those caused by mountains, a series of large-scale standing waves form on the leeward side of the mountain. If the temperature at the crest of the wave drops below the dew point, moisture in the air may condense to form lenticular clouds. Under certain conditions, long strings of lenticular clouds may form near the crest of each successive wave, creating a formation known as a “wave cloud”. Those wave systems can produce large updrafts, occasionally enough for water vapor to condense and produce precipitation.
Lenticular clouds have been said to be mistaken for UFOs, because many of them have the shape of a “flying saucer”, with a characteristic “lens” or smooth, saucer-like shape. Lenticular clouds generally do not form over low-lying or flat terrain, so many people may have never seen one before and don’t know that they can exist. Bright colors (called iridescence) are sometimes seen along the edge of lenticular clouds.
Regarding the sudden appearance of this bizarre shaped cloud, Turkish meteorological officials confirmed the peculiar formation is an example of lens clouds. Which stopped all fears and speculations of people who saw this kind of clouds for the first time.
The scientific explanation of the formation of this cloud is described at the Open-Snow website; where it states that: (Lenticulars are stationary as air moves through the cloud to create and then evaporate the cloud. Lenticulars are a signature of the moisture and sculpted smooth by the wind. The lifting of the air by the mountains assists in cooling and then condensing moisture to make the clouds visible. But when the airflow drops again over the valleys, the moisture dissipates and becomes invisible water vapor again.
Often lenticulars are singular but it’s not uncommon to see them stacked or in an elongated line over or on the lee side of the mountains. Their different forms are related to the mountains, moisture, and the speed/direction of the incoming wind.
Some of the most dramatic examples are the solidarity saucer-shaped lenticular clouds. Kenneth Arnold was flying his small plane near Mount Rainier in Washington State in 1947. He mistakenly described the clouds as flying discs or flying saucers and the press took that and ran. With Arnold’s help, the UFO and space aliens craze began).
The unknown every day wonders make us suspicious about their originations and purposes, but knowledge is the key to understand and be aware. keep your minds open, learn, read, and get your brain stimulated and enriched with valuable information’s that will keep you live in peace.