Suggested Searches

 

1 min read

A Cut in the Clouds

NASA Earth Observatory

Feb 03, 2017
Article
Instruments:
Topics:
2017-02-02 00:00:00
February 2, 2017

Like a ship carving its way through the sea, the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands parted the clouds. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this natural-color image on February 2, 2017. The ripples in the clouds are known as gravity waves.

References & Resources

NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response. Caption by Pola Lem.

Downloads

2017-02-02 00:00:00

February 2, 2017

JPEG (2.34 MB)

February 2, 2017

TIFF (16.04 MB)

You may also be interested in:

Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet.
Islands of Fire and Ice Veiled in Cloud
3 min read

Puffs of low-level clouds mingle with the volcanic terrain of Candlemas and Vindication islands in the remote South Atlantic.

Article
Clouds Swimming over Lago Argentino
6 min read

A collection of fish-shaped clouds hovered above the glacial lake in Patagonia in December 2025.

Article
Showy Swirls Around Jeju Island
2 min read

Winds blowing past the volcanic landmass near the Korean Peninsula created a trail of spiraling clouds, while murky water churned…

Article
Keep Exploring

Discover More from NASA Earth Science

Subscribe to Earth Observatory Newsletters

Subscribe to the Earth Observatory and get the Earth in your inbox.

Earth Observatory Image of the Day

NASA's Earth Observatory brings you the Earth, every day, with in-depth stories and stunning imagery.

Explore Earth Science

Earth Science Data

Open access to NASA’s archive of Earth science data