The Peñón de Ifach, on the coast of Calpe (Alicante, Spain)…

Ralf ·

The Peñón de Ifach, on the coast of Calpe (Alicante, Spain), appears to be "making clouds" due to a meteorological phenomenon known as orographic cloud formation.




When moist air from the sea (usually from the east) blows inland and encounters the Peñón de Ifach (a massive limestone rock over 300 meters high), the air:
Rises as it hits the rock.
Cools as it gains altitude.
The moisture condenses into tiny droplets, forming clouds right at the top or on the leeward side of the rock.
A cloud forms that clings to or sits just above the rock, as if it were being "manufactured" by it.
Sometimes, a trail of clouds even forms on the leeward side (the side sheltered from the wind), resembling a “hat” or a plume.
This type of cloud is commonly known as an orographic cloud or a lenticular cloud (if it takes on more stylized or lens-like shapes).