24 April 2006

Lost and Found Fotos: Mount St. Helens II


“Here is something not many of us get to see, unless you live near there - Mt. St. Helens at sunrise.

Mt. St.. Helens continues to spew ash, while it is forming a lava dome in the crater and still having minor tremors. Here in this sunrise shot, she appears to be blowing smoke rings (and anything so benign is welcomed, given recent history).

What forms the "smoke rings" is the air flowing over the mountain getting pushed up higher as it goes up and over the top. The moisture content and initial temperature are just right so that the moisture condenses from a vapor to small particles at the higher altitude. When the moving air moves past the peak and comes down again, the particles evaporate back to an invisible vapor.

The two "pancakes" describe that there are two layers of air for which this is happening, thus making this awesome picture possible.”

Photo and text by Brent and Jan LeBaron (I got it forwarded this stuff forwarded to me via email, and don't know the LeBarons personally...)

2 comments:

Ticiana Carneiro said...

Beautiful picture! Aren't you affraid to live near by that?

Anonymous said...

Beautiful picture... thank you!