The spectacular Morning Glory roll cloud occurs in the Australian region called the Gulf of Carpentaria and off the Mexican coast in the Sea of Cortez. This spring phenomenon is a completely natural and quite spectacular sight, though relatively unknown. It is considered an example of a soliton.

Glider pilots will book up in local hotels around the time that it occurs, usually September in the hope that they can ride it like a surfer on a wave.

The phenomenon has also been observed from Sable Island, a small Canadian island located 180 km southwest of Nova Scotia. In contrast to Australia’s Gulf of Carpentaria where the morning glory cloud is visible in the morning, the cloud has a predilection to hit the island in the early evening.

External links

• DropBears.com on the Morning Glory phenomenon, with aerial photos of the cloud.
• ABC Australia with images of soaring the morning glory.
• Cloud Appreciation Society Article on the Morning Glory, images, and video.
• Sable Island Green Horse Society Sable Island: Morning Glory Cloud

Clouds | Natural history of Nova Scotia