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
An open-celled cloud over the Pacific Ocean had a shape reminiscent of a certain circular letter of the alphabet.
Published Sep 27, 2014
Patches of open-celled clouds off the west coast of Peru offer beautiful glimpses of the sea—and pointers to where rain may have fallen.
Published Aug 7, 2018
When undular bores ripple through the atmosphere, they leave remarkable patterns in the clouds.
Published Oct 9, 2020
Whether a patch of clouds contains open or closed cells offers a clue about whether rain is falling below.
Published Feb 6, 2016
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
Data collected by a sensor on the Aqua satellite reveals the global distribution of clouds.
Published May 8, 2015
Cold air blows over warmer water to produce thin, parallel lines of clouds.
Published Oct 8, 2018
Cool air moving across Arctic sea ice gives rise to long parallel bands of cumulus clouds over the Norwegian Sea.
Published Mar 31, 2016Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Unique Imagery Snow and Ice
The rise and fall of colliding air columns can make cloud patterns—gravity waves—similar to a boat’s wake.
Published Jul 14, 2016
