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The
Grand Canyon, one of the seven wonders of the natural world, became even more
wondrous on Thursday, thanks to a rare weather event. A sea of clouds filled
the chasm from the bottom up, ebbing and flowing like a seaside tide.
The stunning sight of the canyon filling
with fog like water fills a bathtub occurred due to a total temperature
inversion. “This occurs when a
cold layer of air is trapped at the base of the canyon and is topped by a
warmer layer,” the Washington Post reported. “On clear, calm nights, the rate of
cooling near the surface increases and, if there is low level moisture present,
condensation processes kick in and fog forms.”
Recent rains near Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park, combined with a lack of
winds in the ravine, produced the necessary moisture for a total cloud
inversion to develop. The fog has enveloped much of the northern region of the
Grand Canyon state, AP reports.
Cory
Mottice of the National Weather Service told AP that the weather event happens
about once every several years, though the landmark was treated to one last
year.
The
last time fog filled the ravine was December 3, 2013. The canyon is 277 miles
long, up to 18 miles wide, and is more than a mile deep in some places.
Mottice
says the Grand Canyon will gradually clear up in the coming days.
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