This Copernicus Sentinel-2 picture highlights a particular cloud formation north of the Canary Islands of Tenerife and La Gomera.
Zoom in or click on on the circles to discover this picture at its full decision.
Fashioned by volcanic exercise tens of millions of years in the past, the Canary Islands are the southernmost area of Spain. They’re positioned within the North Atlantic Ocean, round 100 km off the coast of Africa. The archipelago consists of seven bigger islands, together with La Gomera and Tenerife, and quite a few smaller islands and islets.
La Gomera, seen on the left, has a roughly round form with rugged coasts and a mountainous inside. Its highest level, Garajonay Peak, is within the centre of the island, surrounded by the luxurious and numerous vegetation of the Garajonay Nationwide Park. The island’s chief port and capital is San Sebastián de la Gomera, on the east coast, going through the island of Tenerife.
Tenerife is the most important of the Canaries. It’s dominated by the El Teide volcano, the best mountain on Spanish territory, standing at round 3718 m. Constructed-up areas are seen across the shoreline. As an illustration, the capital metropolis of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is on the northeastern a part of the island, the harbour metropolis of Puerto de la Cruz is on the north facet and Tenerife South Airport is on the southern coast.
Owing to their numerous topography and distinctive climatic components, each islands expertise a number of microclimates. Which means that the climate can differ considerably throughout every island, permitting for heat, sunny seashores within the south, wetter inexperienced areas within the north, and funky and even snowy situations at high-altitude, all inside a brief distance.
Climate and local weather are closely influenced by the commerce winds blowing from the northeast for a lot of the 12 months, bringing humidity and precipitation to the north of the island. This impact could be appreciated within the picture by means of the sharp distinction between the commonly greener north and the extra arid southern half on each islands.
The interplay between the winds and the islands’ steep topography can be liable for the cloud patterns that often type over and across the archipelago. On this picture, marine stratocumulus clouds could be seen carefully following the northern coasts of the islands.
Because the commerce winds blow from the northeast, they push the cool, moist marine air in the direction of the islands. Atmospheric situations within the area lure the air at altitudes under 1500 m, forming the stratocumulus cowl. When the droplets within the clouds come into contact with the hotter land floor, they evaporate roughly following the outlines of the coasts.
