Sprawling storm sparks gravity waves in the skies over Canada
A gorgeous display of wave clouds painted the skies over parts of Canada as a major storm ramped up
Phenomenal auroras glistening in the night weren’t the only wonders soaring above our heads this week.
Fantastic displays of wave clouds have graced the skies over parts of the Maritimes for the past few days, all thanks to a sprawling storm lumbering through the region.
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Take a look at these mesmerizing clouds that formed over the Maritimes on both Friday and Saturday.
Dozens of perfect and distinct rows spread from one horizon to the other across portions of southern Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and much of New England.
Friday’s clouds were much more pronounced than those seen on Saturday as more unsettled weather pushed into the region.
These formations are aptly called wave clouds, which form when gravity waves billow through the atmosphere like ripples on the surface of a pond.
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Gravity waves are most common downwind of mountain ranges. Winds continue to undulate after blowing up and over mountain peaks, continuing to gently rise and fall for hundreds of kilometres away from the steep terrain.
Air cools as it rises into the peaks of these waves, condensing water vapour into a thin strip of clouds that outlines the crest of each wave formation. The air dries out and warms back up as it descends again, only for the process to repeat during the next wave sequence.
You may have experienced this phenomenon first hand if you've flown over the Rockies. Waves forming downwind of the mountains are a common cause of uncomfortable turbulence for passenger aircraft.
A vast storm swirling off Canada’s East Coast is responsible for the sustained wave clouds we’ve seen for the past few days.
Northwesterly winds racing across Quebec and the Maritimes rose up and over both the Laurentians and the Appalachians, triggering the waves we can see in the clouds this weekend.
