Images
November 26, 2009 - Ship-wave-shaped Clouds near the Aleutian Islands
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Beneath the cloud cover in this image captured by the MODIS on the Terra satellite on November 9, 2009 are the Aleutian Islands. The Aleutians are a chain of islands that extend from Alaska toward the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia.
The clouds trailing off the Aleutians form interesting rippled patterns which are called "ship-wave-shaped". This cloud pattern is so-named because it resembles the V-shaped wakes left by moving objects, such as ships or even ducks. In this case, it isn't the islands aren't moving, but the wind, which behaves like a liquid. When the wind encounters an obstacle like the islands, it moves around, leaving behind a wake. Ship-wave-shaped cloud patterns form as the air alternately cools and warms on the wave peaks and troughs, causing clouds to form on the peaks, but not the troughs.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 11/09/2009
Resolutions:
1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Beneath the cloud cover in this image captured by the MODIS on the Terra satellite on November 9, 2009 are the Aleutian Islands. The Aleutians are a chain of islands that extend from Alaska toward the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia.
The clouds trailing off the Aleutians form interesting rippled patterns which are called "ship-wave-shaped". This cloud pattern is so-named because it resembles the V-shaped wakes left by moving objects, such as ships or even ducks. In this case, it isn't the islands aren't moving, but the wind, which behaves like a liquid. When the wind encounters an obstacle like the islands, it moves around, leaving behind a wake. Ship-wave-shaped cloud patterns form as the air alternately cools and warms on the wave peaks and troughs, causing clouds to form on the peaks, but not the troughs.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 11/09/2009
Resolutions:
1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
