Soldier's Task: Explanation: Morning Glory Clouds

Have you ever seen wave? And have you ever seen clouds? Have you ever imagine if clouds are looks like waves? Morning Glory is natural phenomenon which clouds are looks like waves in the sky. It’s rarely appear but it can be observed in north of Carpentaria Bay, Australia. Morning glory clouds some times looks like “Tsunami” because of it looks like huge wave and more looks like when it appear above sea, beach, and places which close with sea.

It’s seems like waves and very long up to 1000 kilometres. It’s in height 1 up to 2 kilometres. Sometimes it can be in 100 or 200 meters above earth surface. It’s moving and can appear on whole of the world including Indonesia. It’s moving about 60 kilometres/hour.

GMS satellite image of the gulf region at 0832 EST on 9 Oct (2232 UTC 8 Oct). The four sets of cloud lines identified are the north Australian cloud line (NACL), the southerly morning glory (SMG), a southeasterly morning glory (SEMG), and a northeasterly morning glory (NEMG) (www.meteo.physik.uni-muenchen.de)

Schematic of the vertical structure of a morning glory disturbance. The bore is propagating from right to left. The airflow relative to the bore is from left to right. The morning glory clouds form as air ascends ahead of each wave and they evaporate as air descends behind each wave.The continuous formation of cloud at the leading edge of the wave gives the appearance that the clouds are rotating and for this reason, the clouds are often referred to as "roll clouds".(www.meteo.physik.uni-muenchen.de)

Scientists have not know certainly why it happen. But, several people sure that Morning Glory Clouds happened becausewest wind which warm and faster than east wind blow and roll the east wind. It commonly accurs in October It firstly known and reported by Royal Australian Air Force pilots in 1942.

Aerial photographs of the morning glory of 24 Oct 2006 between Karumba and Sweers Island. (www.meteo.physik.uni-muenchen.de)

Garrawa Aboriginal people called this phenomenon with “kangolgi”.

If you browsing it on internet, you may found many topics about morning glory in Australia. It because the morning glory often appeared and observed in Australia.

Some people doing atracting sport arround this phenomenon and key to an indescribable experience for extreme gliders. Some brave soarers are flying aroud the clouds with their engine switched off.