Landscapes

Sky waves at sunset.

Wind-driven waves rolling though the sky. These are called Kelvin-Helmholtz waves, which is an extremely rare phenomenon where a cloud produces a billowing wave pattern. They occur when there is a strong vertical shear between two air streams causing winds to blow faster at the upper level than at the lower levels. Seen near sunset in Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia. A colleague pointed out that similar clouds can be seen in Van Gogh's painting 'Starry Night'.

cloudswavesrollingbillowingrareKelvinHemholz wavesTorres del PainePatagonia