Ship-wave-shaped wave clouds induced by South Sandwich Islands

Strong winds whip over the South Atlantic Ocean at the high latitude of the South Sandwich Islands. As the wind flows past the islands, it is swept around and over them, leaving a wake similar to a ship’s wake in water. In this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image, acquired by NASA’s Aqua satellite on January 27, 2004, clouds assume the shape of the wind’s wake. Such formations are called ship-wave-shaped clouds.

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Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Published January 28, 2004
Data acquired January 27, 2004

Source:

Aqua > MODIS