Public domain
Ship-wave-shaped wave clouds induced by the Crozet Islands, south Indian Ocean
From the collection of NASA Image and Video Library. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
There are special places on Earth that sometimes write their personal signature in the clouds. The Crozet Islands are one such place, thanks to the tall volcanic peaks that grace the islands. When air flows around these tall peaks, it gets pushed around the islands as well as up and over the peak. The net effect of the flowing air flowing around the solid, tall peaks is much like the solid bow of a ship cutting through standing water. In each case v-shaped waves are formed behind the motion.
NASA Image and Video Library’s own descriptionCredit lineShip-wave-shaped wave clouds induced by the Crozet Islands, south Indian Ocean. NASA/GSFC, 2017-12-08. Public domain. ID: GSFC_20171208_Archive_e000873.