Marvelously stacked shelves of clouds glow from within thanks to a frequent and generous dosage of in-cloud lightning, in this short time exposure. Wild and otherworldly in appearance, this crazy-looking formation has a sane physical explanation. The laminar, plate-like appearance arose from layers of moist, stable air forced upward by strong lifting along and above the storm's cool pool of … [Read more...]
No Baseball Tonight
The Iowa flooding of June, 2008, canceled many sporting events, including anything to be played at this field for many days to come. Water rose several feet higher before this flood was finished, thanks to 4-10 inches of rain unleashed the prior evening and overnight on the drainage basin of the nearby Skunk River. Story City IA (8 Jun 8) Looking WNW 42.1878, -93.5867 … [Read more...]
Supercellular Sparkle
Despite gradually weakening since its near-sunset peak, the Arcadia supercell continued blasting forth lightning from every level. When we finally were able to get enough distance between us and the storm to feel reasonably safe outdoors, the pace of the best lightning had lessened considerably. Still, this storm offered a few more reminders of its capability to deliver instant death, and this … [Read more...]
Travertine Takeover
Upon pondering Yellowstone National Park, most folks think of geysers, wildlife, hot pools, mountains: all amazing and worthy of the camera, for sure. Yet in one corner of the park lies a grimly stark landscape frontng the distant Absaroka Range—ledges of travertine, precipitated from old hot springs, that entombed the trees they encountered. In the dry, high-altitude climate, the old arboreal … [Read more...]
Cascades below Yst i-Rjukandi
A short distance downhill and downstream from the “Yst i-Rjukandi” waterfall set, this fine, unnamed cascade offers what looks like a refreshing place to take a cool plunge. Of course, the dip would be described better as a frigid cardiac jolt, considering that the stream drains snow and ice in the Icelandic Highlands just a few degrees latitude below the Arctic Circle. Hence, not even the … [Read more...]
Circumzenithal Arc
We so often miss interesting visual effects, especially on days of placid weather, because they're going on almost directly overhead and with little fanfare. I'm glad, therefore, someone ran inside and told me of this as I was leaving work! The "inverted rainbow" feature at the top is the circumzenithal arc, so named because, if it were an exceedingly rare full circle, it would enclose the … [Read more...]
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