Gravity Waves - @wxornotBG

On Saturday I observed a cloud formation I’ve seen in Bowling Green once before known as a “gravity wave”. These are cloud formations that develop into wave-like patterns from different sources of disturbance, whether it be something moving along throughout the atmosphere or something initiated topographically. It’s important to understand that our atmosphere behaves just like water in a swimming pool as the air that our atmosphere is comprised of is a fluid just as water is. Therefore, the same ripple effect you get when you move throughout a pool can occur in the atmosphere as long as something is there to cause the disturbance.

Sometimes we can see these wave formations ahead of approaching cold fronts as they can push the air ahead of it up into the atmosphere and, consequently, cause a rising and sinking motion that forms waves just like moving your arm through water.

Picture I took on Saturday shows the wave cloud formation moving over Bowling Green.

These clouds were a variation of altocumulus clouds and are the typical cloud involved with gravity waves. They were likely caused by some sort of mid-level disturbance as we had an exiting trough moving out of the area with strong upper level winds present.

Here's a look at visible satellite at that same time. - Courtesy NASA Earth Science Office — Here’s a look at visible satellite at that same time. – Courtesy NASA Earth Science Office

Mountainous areas are a common region for wave clouds to develop as the peaks cause air to rise up and over the top and cause the rising and sinking motion downwind. These are often referred to as “Lee Waves” as they developed on the leeward side of the mountain chain.