Morning Glory cloud

Morning Glory clouds can be observed from Burketown from late September to early November. The town attracts glider pilots intent on riding this phenomenon. There are generally only a handful of well formed spectacular clouds during this period at Burketown. During the 2012 season there were only four to be seen from there, but quite a few ragged unspectacular cloud lines were seen. Often they start to break up before arriving at Burketown or pass to the north and only stay well formed over water. In an aircraft there is a significantly better chance of sighting the cloud. A Morning Glory cloud is a roll cloud, or arcus cloud, that can be up to long, high, often only above the ground. The cloud often travels at the rate of 10 to 20 metres per second. Sometimes there is only one cloud, sometimes there are up to ten consecutive roll clouds. Three distinct types of Morning Glory clouds have been identified. Cloud is continuously formed at the leading edge while being eroded at the trailing edge. The wave may occur without the appearance of any clouds. == History of exploration ==

Unusual cloud formations have been noticed here since ancient times. The local Garrwa Aboriginal people called it kangólgi. Royal Australian Air Force pilots first reported this phenomenon in 1942. The Morning Glory cloud of the Gulf of Carpentaria has been studied by multiple teams of scientists since the early 1970s. The first studies were published by Reg H. Clarke (University of Melbourne). Multiple studies have followed since then, proposing diverse mathematical models explaining the complex movements of air masses in the region. == Atmospheric conditions ==

One of the main contributors for the formation of the morning glory clouds is the mesoscale circulations associated with a difference in sea breezes that develop over the Peninsula and the Gulf. On the large scale, Morning Glories are usually associated with frontal systems crossing central Australia and high pressure in northern Australia. Locals have noted that the Morning Glory is likely to occur when the humidity in the area is high, which provides moisture for the cloud to form, and when strong sea breezes have blown the preceding day. The following is a summary of the conditions that cause the Morning Glory cloud to form in the Gulf of Carpentaria (after hypothesis of R.H.Clarke, as described in 1981). == Other reported occurrences ==

Although the Morning Glory clouds over the southern part of the Gulf of Carpentaria are the most frequent and predictable, similar phenomena have occasionally been observed elsewhere, e.g., over central United States, in the English Channel, Munich, The phenomenon was also recorded on Batroun's shore (Lebanon – Middle East) in September 2004. On 20 November 2013, a Morning Glory formation formed over the greater Durban area. On 4 June 2015 a Morning Glory cloud formed over St. Cloud, FL, US. On 3 November 2016 a Morning Glory cloud formed over Appelscha, The Netherlands. On 5 February 2018 a Morning Glory cloud formed over Richmond, Virginia, US. On 30 August 2018, a Morning Glory cloud formed over Ruskin, FL, US. == See also ==