Fog Bank and Glitter Patch
November 15, 2004
Provided and copyright by: Rob Sheridan
Summary authors & editors: Rob Sheridan
On the photo above the Sun can be seen rising over a well-defined fog bank in the early morning hours on July 31, 2004 -- looking east from Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. Fog is essentially a ground level cloud, and a "fog bank" is a simply a sharply defined area of fog. Fog banks are commonly seen at sea, when air cools more rapidly than water below, dropping the temperature of the moisture-laden air immediately above the sea surface below its dew point. In temperate latitudes, it's not unusual for fog banks to develop in the hours before dawn during the summer months. Fog banks are a major hazard to navigation and are a prime cause of shipwrecks. They markedly interfere with visibility and are one of the reasons that many navigation aids in shipping channels make noise. Note the artistic glitter patch on the water's surface directly beneath the Sun.
Related Links: