Like ripples on a pond, a series of long, circular wave clouds radiate out from the coast of West Africa in this pair of photo-like images.
Published Oct 20, 2007
Distinctive lines of clouds that mirror the shape of the shore hang over the Aral Sea in this photo-like image.
Published Mar 25, 2009
When undular bores ripple through the atmosphere, they leave remarkable patterns in the clouds.
Published Oct 9, 2020
This distinctive V-shaped wave pattern can emerge behind mountains, ships, and ducks.
Published Dec 17, 2017
The island itself is almost too small see in this image, but it serves as the starting point for the clouds that flow toward the northeast in a giant V shape. Amsterdam Island is a volcanic summit, the northernmost volcano on the Antarctic tectonic plate.
Published Dec 30, 2005
Dry air surging off the western coast of Africa ran into a wall of moist air over the Atlantic, creating a distinctive line in a marine cloud layer.
Published Feb 28, 2013
As winds streamed past the South Sandwich Islands, the disrupted flow created an interlocking series of wave clouds.
Published Feb 28, 2020
When an eastward flow of air hit the Balleny Islands, it formed a wave pattern in the clouds and on the ocean surface.
Published Dec 8, 2017
Cloud shapes reveal the fluid-like nature of the atmosphere.
Published Apr 20, 2014
Like a massive, ethereal bird gliding into the Persian Gulf, a large cluster of wave clouds spans the Arabian Sea from Oman to India. This cloud formation is likely an undular bore, which is created in the interaction between the cool, dry air in a low-pressure system with a stable layer of warm, moist air.
Published Jun 9, 2007
Atmospheric waves and internal waves make an appearance on the same day off the western coast of Australia.
Published Feb 17, 2016
Acquired November 23, 2009, this true-color image shows wave clouds formed by air currents passing over the South Sandwich Islands. The islands anchor the V-shaped clouds that spread out toward the east.
Published Nov 25, 2009
The troughs and ridges of atmospheric waves created a distinctive pattern in the clouds.
Published Nov 30, 2014
The rise and fall of colliding air columns can make cloud patterns—gravity waves—similar to a boat’s wake.
Published Jul 14, 2016
Air masses passing over the Appalachian Mountains created waves in the atmosphere—and these distinctive clouds.
Published Apr 22, 2018
The troughs and ridges of atmospheric waves created a distinctive pattern in the clouds.
Published Nov 21, 2015
Sea breezes and differential heating fill the afternoon sky with puffs of white clouds.
Published Aug 11, 2013
The wave-like appearance of clouds over Bristol Bay in southwest Alaska are the result of colliding air masses.
Published May 18, 2017
Events on Earth’s surface can affect the development and shape of clouds in the sky.
Published Jan 3, 2017Image of the Day Heat Land Water Snow and Ice Remote Sensing
A layer of marine stratocumulus clouds off the west coast of Africa displayed some particularly complex wave patterns.
Published May 16, 2020
Acquired April 29, 2011, this natural-color image shows wakes created by the Juan Fernandez Islands off the coast of Chile.
Published May 31, 2011
Strong winds gusted over the Gulf of Mexico on December 16, 2007, and though the wind is invisible in these photo-like snapshots, its presence is written in the clouds and on the surface of the water.
Published Dec 19, 2007
