An unusual group of clouds appeared over the interior of Australia on the morning of July 5, 2023 Medium resolution imaging spectrophotometer (MODIS) on NASA terra The satellite captured this image of the stunning screen, which stretched more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) over Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Many experts in cloud dynamics who looked at the image found the patterns strange and fascinating, and were unable to say with certainty the cause of the complex formations based on the image alone. However, meteorological observations from that time provide clues as to what might have happened.
“We know that gravitational wave Cloud fields are very common in a stable atmosphere. Yi Huangatmospheric scientist at the University of Melbourne. according to Temperature profile data, the atmosphere on the morning of July 5 was very stable and well-ordered, with a sharp temperature inversion at the top of atmospheric boundary layer. Turbulence, which can occur when air encounters small elevations and valleys, results in a wave texture in clouds that resembles ripples on a pond. In fact, in the detailed view below, we see these fine textures inside large clouds.
Deciphering the shape of the large clouds, with their sudden, arching edges, proved more difficult. Huang hypothesizes that they could also be shaped by gravitational waves, but on a much larger scale. “Depending on the nature of the disturbance (or disturbances), the gravitational waves generated may have different wavelengths,” she said.
On the western edge of the formation, the cloud edges appear to reflect some of the key topographical features below. Huang speculated that the terrain may have triggered a series of waves of longer wavelengths. These waves would have produced the clear cloud boundaries, as the sinking and warming of the air going to the bottom of the wave caused the clouds to evaporate.
Extensive features bear some resemblance to fall cloudssaid the atmospheric scientist Claire VincentAlso from the University of Melbourne. These clouds have circular or elliptical borders and are formed when clouds of supercooled water droplets disintegrate from the inside out. However, she noted that this phenomenon usually occurs higher in the atmosphere, while the clouds observed over Australia were warmer, low-level stratocumulus clouds.
The atmospheric spectacle seemed to be as fleeting as it was gorgeous. Huang said geostationary satellite images showed the cloud field forming and its distinct edges overnight, then disappearing in the late morning. This is when heat from the Earth destabilizes the lower atmosphere.
NASA Earth Observatory imagery by Wanmei Liang, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS bayonet And GIBS/WorldView. The Lindsey Dorman Story.
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