Lenticular clouds that appeared in at least three provinces in Türkiye between January and February astonished citizens, raising concerns and speculations on whether the clouds are related to the Feb.6 catastrophic earthquakes that jolted the country's southeastern region, razing thousands of buildings to the ground.
The lenticular, or lens clouds, are considered a particularly interesting natural phenomenon given their alluring colors and shapes.
They are unique in terms of formation and are primarily classified according to the altitude level in the stratosphere. However, this time people are speculating if the occurrence of these clouds during the period of January and February is somehow connected to the recent earthquakes.
Those who have spotted the UFO-shaped formations have wondered if there is a similarity between the sightings and the occasional appearance of lights in the sky prompted by the tension in the Earth’s crust during powerful earthquakes. However, lens clouds, according to many experts, are simply a natural phenomenon unrelated to geological activity.
As per the meteorological explanations of various organizations, including the U.S. National Weather Service, lenticular clouds are stationary clouds that form mostly in the troposphere, typically in parallel alignment with the wind direction.
Known by their Latin name – Altocumulus Standing Lenticular (ACSL) or Altocumulus Standing Lenticularis, they are associated with fluctuations in the atmosphere that develop when relatively stable, fast-moving air is forced up and over a topographic barrier that is oriented more or less perpendicular to the direction from which the upper-level wind is blowing.
This deflection creates a gravitational pull downwind of the topographic barrier, not unlike a wave you might generate by throwing a pebble into a pond. When sufficient moisture is present above the mountain-top level, ACSL clouds develop within the crest of these mountain waves where the air is rising.
After the lenticular cloud was spotted on Jan. 19 in Türkiye’s northwestern Bursa province, the country’s General Directorate of Meteorology pointed out that lens clouds are formed because of wind fluctuations and indicate turbulence moving downward in the sky.
It is possible to encounter such clouds in any geographical area where foehn wind is seen, although as per experts most likely these types of clouds are seen in high-mountain range areas, such as the Uludağ mountain in Bursa.
Recently, lenticular clouds were seen in the Central Anatolian province of Niğde and eastern Van, garnering the attention of the citizens who were amazed by the natural phenomena and captured the rare sight on their phones.
Lens clouds were seen clearly from many counties in the city, while the cloud in Van was seen in the Gürpınar, Edremit and Gevaş districts and remained intact for about 45 minutes.