 EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes
and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and
archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


 EPOD 20th - Inferior Mirage of a Ship

   September 11, 2020

    Inferior Mirage of a Ship
   We’re celebrating 20 years of Earth Science Picture of the Day during
   the month of September! Today’s photo features a popular EPOD from the
   past. Thanks to all of our followers (on the blog, Facebook, Instagram
   and Twitter) for supporting us. Thanks also to all of you who’ve
   submitted your photos. We’re most appreciative. This EPOD was
   originally published June 26, 2013.

   Photographer:  Mila Zinkova
   Summary Author:  Mila Zinkova
   The  surfer in the foreground is either unaware of the interesting
    mirage in the distance or doesn’t realize it’s a mirage and is
   waiting for this huge ship’s  wake-wave. This photo was taken in the
    Pacific Ocean near  San Francisco on January 13, 2013 – a very
   cold winter’s day for  coastal California.  Cold, calm and clear
   weather conditions along a shore are great for detecting  inferior
   mirages.
   With an inferior mirage, the image is below the real object. According
   to atmospheric optics expert, Les Cowley, in this case, a  layer of
   abnormally warm air was situated beneath a cooler air layer. Light
   passing at low angles across the different air layers was  refracted
   so that rays coming from the top of the boat appeared to be coming
   upward from the  horizon. Our brain interprets this as a reflection
   from the water. Note that the horizon is missing, and the base of the
   boat can't be seen either below or above the line joining the real view
   and the mirage. This is referred to as the  vanishing-line effect.
   Most often, inferior mirages are observed in the deserts and often
   trick experienced and inexperienced travelers alike, and not only
   travelers. For example, during World War I (on 11 April 1917), the
   fighting between the British and the Turks in Mesopotamia had to be
   temporarily suspended owing to a mirage. Sometimes people who get lost
   in deserts are relieved by seeing an oasis only to realize later on
   that it was just a mirage.  David Livingstone wrote:

   "A mirage can never be reached and it leads travelers astray, luring
   them farther and farther into the heart of the waste, ever retreating
   before them as they pursued it, and not finally disappearing till its
   deluded victims had irrecoverably lost themselves in the pathless
   sands."
     * Ocean Beach, California Coordinates:  37.759444, -122.510833

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    More...

Atmospheric Effects Links

     *  Atmospheric Optics
     *  Color and Light in Nature
     *  The Colors of Twillight and Sunset
     *  Refraction Index
     *  Image Gallery: Atmospheric Effects
     *  What is a Rainbow?

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   Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the  Universities
   Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu
 
