Last weekend, a so-called “UFO cloud” appeared in the sky in Yeongbuk, Gangwon Province, drawing att..

Forming a ‘lens cloud’ in accordance with the topography and airflow
It is often observed near Mt. Seorak and Mt. Halla

사진 확대 Lens clouds seen in Gangwon-do [Authorized by Yonhap News]

Last weekend, a so-called “UFO cloud” appeared in the sky in Yeongbuk, Gangwon Province, drawing attention.

According to Yonhap News on the 4th, flat and smooth plate-shaped clouds were observed in the Yeongbuk area, including Sokcho City and Yangyang County in Gangwon Province, in the afternoon of the 31st of last month. At that time, the sky was generally clear and there were few other clouds, but the cloud was floating only in the sky near Seoraksan National Park.

The Korea Meteorological Administration explained that this cloud is a “lens cloud” formed by the combination of mountainous terrain and weather conditions. Lens clouds usually appear when the airflow across the mountain range is strong.

When cold and fast air crosses the mountain vertically, the air vibrates like waves up and down, and in this process, the temperature decreases in the section where the air rises and the water vapor condenses to form clouds. On the contrary, in the section where the air goes down, the clouds disappear, leaving them only at certain elevations and locations.

사진 확대 Lens clouds seen in Gangwon-do [Authorized by Yonhap News]

If this flow is repeated, clouds are formed only on a certain side over the mountain range, so the edges are not disturbed and take on a smooth shape that looks like a knife cut. Because of this, a unique appearance that resembles a dish or UFO appears.

Lens clouds are often not accompanied by rain or snow, so they can be observed locally even in clear weather. Due to the large influence of the topography, it often appears in Yeongbuk area located between the east coast and Seoraksan Mountain or Jeju area near Hallasan Mountain.

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Lens Cloud

Yonhap News

North Gyeongsang region

independent provision

airflow