Spotted on this morning’s visible satellite image:
Here’s what they may look line from your backyard if you lived in Virginia:
Gravity wave clouds are beautiful, rippling cloud formations, like waves on water, that form in stable air when wind flows over obstacles (mountains, fronts) or disturbances, forcing air up and down in oscillations; moisture condenses at wave crests (clouds) and evaporates in troughs (clear skies), creating distinct patterns visible from space and on radar, often indicating turbulence for aircraft.
How They Form
- Trigger: Stable air encounters a barrier (mountains, thunderstorms, cold fronts) or wind shear, forcing it upward.
- Oscillation: Gravity pulls the air back down, but it overshoots and starts bouncing up and down (oscillating) like a wave in water.
- Cloud Formation:
- Crests (Upturns): Air rises, cools, and moisture condenses, forming clouds.
- Troughs (Downturns): Air sinks, warms, and clouds evaporate, creating clear patches.
- Appearance: This creates long, parallel lines or ripple patterns of clouds and clear sky, spreading out from the disturbance.
