Leo Gundle (Cloud Appreciation Society Member 59,048) saw this Cumulus congestus cloud over Andalucía, Spain cavorting like a playful young elephant. Of all the animals our members spot in the clouds, elephants turn out to be the most common. We’ve often wondered why. Congestus is the tallest form of Cumulus, the low, solid-looking cloud that develops on thermals rising from the Sun-warmed ground. Sometimes, a tower of Cumulus congestus continues to grow into a Cumulonimbus storm cloud. Other times, it dissipates away, perhaps after releasing a shower or two. When it dissipates, the last part to go is the central column where the original thermal had been rising. Bulbous forms of nearby growing Cumulus make up the elephant’s head and ears, the dissipating tower its upturned trunk. Only one more thing is then needed for the cavorting elephant to appear: the imagination of a passing cloudspotter gazing up from below.
In Album: Roger's Timeline Photos
Dimension:
700 x 700
File Size:
43.28 Kb
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