Lenticular clouds — nature’s UFOs and how they form:
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The wonders of the Last Frontier; it’s what brings many to see the beauty of our state. From the Arctic Coastline to the Southeast Panhandle, Alaska has a lot to offer in sights and scenery.
Rarer clouds are often seen here in the Last Frontier, more so than in much of the Lower 48. A lot of the reason has to do with our topography and just how far north we lie in the northern hemisphere. One could look to the sky and see Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds, noctilucent clouds or a UFO. Lenticular clouds, as they are more commonly known as, have sparked several reports through the years of UFOs due in large part to their unique shape.
The clouds, which often form near mountains, provide a visual representation of just how fluid our atmosphere is and a great lesson in the science behind certain cloud formations. The key ingredient is moisture-rich air and an object directly in the path of the wind. Because lenticular clouds can reach altitudes of up to 40,000 feet, the majority of these strange-looking clouds form near mountains. As the moist air slams into the mountain, it is forced upwards, where science comes into play. The moisture within that air condenses to form a cloud, this altitude is known as the lifted condensation level and can be used as a general estimate of the height of a cloud base.
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