Grafton Wave Clouds

January 21, 2009

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Photographer: Phillip Lachman
Summary Author: Phillip Lachman

I spotted this wonderful set of wave clouds when I stepped out the back door to walk the dogs in Grafton, New South Wales, Australia. It was chilly and breezy at the time with the clouds moving west to east seen as right to left in this photo. Just after taking the picture the wind changed and a cold, southerly wind blew in from the direction the camera was facing. The bases of these low, irregular wave clouds appear dark since illumination is from above. Wave clouds most often form as stable air is forced to rise over elevated terrain. The nearest mountain range to Grafton is about 30 miles (50 km) to the west. These intriguing clouds disappeared after about half an hour. Photo taken July 14, 2008 -- midwinter in the Southern Hemisphere.

Photo details: FUJIFILM FinePix S7000; f/4.5; Lens focal length 7.8mm; ISO 160; Software used:  Paint Shop Pro Photo 12.01