World Meteorological Day brings us to Washington"s Mount Rainier, a huge stratovolcano with a habit of creating its own weather systems. Jutting out about 2 miles above the surrounding landscape, its high altitude interrupts the flow of air that comes in off the Pacific Ocean, creating dramatic weather such as the saucer-shaped clouds on our homepage. They"re called lenticular clouds, and because of their distinctive appearance, they"ve been suggested as an explanation for some UFO sightings. Thanks to the science of meteorology, we know they"re a normal weather phenomenon, commonly occurring on the downwind side of obstructions such as mountains, buildings, or other tall structures.
A peak in the clouds
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
High alpine color in Colorado
-
The persistence of Perito Moreno
-
These laurels are hardy
-
Wedded Rocks, Japan
-
A castle fit for a count
-
A tale of almonds and bees
-
Children at play for International Day of Friendship
-
Why does this panda cub look so happy?
-
The Alhambra in Granada, Spain
-
Halo around the sun
-
Bonifacio on the island of Corsica, France
-
Mysterious prairie mounds abound
-
Do spirits haunt the Gardens of Versailles?
-
Museum Night in Berlin
-
Is that a face in the sand?
-
Guild houses of Grand-Place, Brussels, Belgium
-
Earthrise on Moon Day
-
Welcome to the Year of the Pig
-
A theatrical dream
-
Put your flippers in the air…
-
Reflecting on one of the world s strangest rivers
-
Atolls in the Maldives
-
The Bahamas
-
Signs of life in the Empty Quarter
-
They’re grrrape!
-
Muskoxen in Dovre-Sunndalsfjella National Park, Norway
-
Wild and beautiful Alaska
-
Cappadocia, Türkiye
-
Wychwood Forest, Oxfordshire, England
-
Yosemite National Park, California