Landsat 8 captures von Kármán vortex streets near Peter I Island
Updated
Updated · Science@NASA · May 7
Landsat 8 captures von Kármán vortex streets near Peter I Island
5 articles · Updated · Science@NASA · May 7
The image shows counterrotating cloud spirals over the Bellingshausen Sea, around 400km off West Antarctica, on an austral summer day in 2026.
NASA said the eddies formed as winds of roughly 18 to 54km/h were deflected by the remote, ice-covered volcanic island; stronger gales would disrupt their shape.
The following day brought more vortex streets and clearer views of the island’s 1,640m summit crater. Peter I Island remains little studied because of its isolation and difficult surrounding ice.
Are these atmospheric spirals a visible warning of the 'pent-up heat' now escaping from the Antarctic Ocean?
Can satellites that spot weather patterns predict the collapse of the vital ice shelves lying beneath them?
As Antarctica faces a climate crisis, why is the U.S. withdrawing its last dedicated research ship?