December 26, 2020 - Cloud Vortices off Cape Verde

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   Cloud Vortices off Cape Verde
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   Soft swirls of cloud illustrated the pattern of the wind behind the
   Cape Verdes in late December 2020. The Moderate Resolution Imaging
   Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this
   true-color image on December 22.

   These cloud patterns—known as von Kármán vortices—are a familiar
   atmospheric phenomenon, especially in areas where trade winds are
   prevalent. Such vortices can form nearly anywhere that fluid
   flow—including an air mass—is disturbed by a solid object. In this
   case, winds blowing across the ocean are disturbed by tall mountains on
   the small islands which poke above the surface of the North Atlantic.
   As the air strikes each tall mountain, it is forced around the
   obstruction instead of over it. The resulting turbulence takes the form
   of spinning air—clockwise on one side of the island and
   counterclockwise on the other, leaving a trail of twisting whorls on
   the lee side of the islands. It takes a cover of cloud to make the
   pattern visible.

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Terra
   Date Acquired: 12/22/2020
   Resolutions:  1km (74.7 KB),  500m (232.8 KB),  250m (633.4
   KB)
   Bands Used: 1,4,3
   Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2020-12-26
 
