NOAA’s GOES West satellite captured this stunning visible imagery of von Kármán vortices

On Jan. 17, 2024, NOAA’s GOES West satellite captured this stunning visible imagery of leaf-shaped actinoform clouds forming next to swirling von Kármán vortices near Guadalupe Island.

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Von Kármán vortices are beautiful swirling cloud formations that typically occur when the prevailing wind is diverted by elevated land features such as islands, mountaintops, or volcanoes. These geological features can disrupt the flow of wind, causing the air, and its subsequent clouds, to rotate into a spiral shape. This is similar to the way large boulders create downstream eddies in rivers.

The pattern of the cloud swirls depends on the wind intensity. The vortices are driven by the prevailing winds, which can change seasonally and cause differences in the direction and structure of the vortices.

Actinoform clouds are organized in a distinctive radial pattern, often appearing as leaf-like or reminiscent of wagon wheel spokes. Their name describes their shape—“actino” is derived from the Greek word for “ray” and the spoke-like structures that reach out in all directions are called “actiniae.”

They generally form lower in the atmosphere (around 6,600 feet above Earth), over water, in areas where stratocumulus clouds are common. They are often spotted in the open waters of the Pacific Ocean, most commonly in the Southern Hemisphere. The clouds can last up to 72 hours and are often associated with drizzle.

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