A 'fog ocean' of low lying clouds in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia
A leftover from my fog bank shots taken back in April (hence the vibrant Spring greenery), as seen from an overlook in the South District of Shenandoah National Park.
The meteorological definition of fog is a cloud (stratus) which has its cloud base on or close to ground.
More specifically, the term stratus is used to describe flat, hazy, featureless clouds of low altitude varying in color from dark gray to nearly white. These clouds are essentially above ground fog formed either through the lifting of morning fog or when cold air moves at low altitudes over a region.
To a large extent, the mountain causes fog. Moving air masses must rise to get over the mountain. As the air rises, it expands and cools; if the air is moist, cooling may cause moisture to precipitate as tiny droplets, and produce the clouds that we call fog.
Half a dozen times a year, an atmospheric inversion may produce a strange effect: fog lies like a soft white blanket on the Shenandoah Valley and the Piedmont, while the mountaintop is clear. Then you can look down on a "fog ocean," with the lower peaks rising above it like islands.
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To truly appreciate the magnitude of a massive fog system like this is to see it firsthand. I captured some video footage because sometimes photos don't do justice - check out these 2 video clips (hand held) on YouTube if you have a spare moment.
Video Clip 1
Video Clip 2
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HDR --
3 brackets (-2 | 0 | +2)
merged and tone mapped.
THANKS FOR VIEWING!
