Morning Glory Clouds of the Gulf of Carpentaria

Spectacular, rare, and awesomely powerful, the Morning Glory of the Gulf of Carpentaria in Northern Australia is a magnet for growing numbers of soaring pilots and scientists. Unique in all the world and shrouded in mystery, the Morning Glory arrives regularly each spring.

Satelite image of Morning Glory clouds with associated upper wave system.

Morning Glory Cloud Photos - Near Burketown 1994

More images

Dynamic waves of this type occur unheralded everywhere and at all altitudes, and are the possible cause of much of the clear air turbulence which so disrupts commercial air travel. Those waves, however, are usually invisible, infrequent and currently all but unpredictable.

Morning Glory waves sometimes exceed 1000 km in length and 10,000 feet in height and are associated with the Northern Australian Cloud Line.

A Guide to Morning Glory Clouds
and the Gulf of Carpentaria

Herein you'll find a collection of articles about soaring the Morning Glory, some technical and some decidedly not. There is a modest collection of images of the wave cloud, including a quite amazing satellite picture. There are several articles on Burketown and the Gulf of Carpentaria, including historical pieces on Sweers Island and the Investigator Tree, and there is a smattering of information about Far North Queensland in general. Pages on various Gulf locations including Undara Lava Tubes and Lawn Hill Gorge, fauna and flora information, and of course the site wouldn't be complete without a page or two on the ubiquitous canetoad.

Morning Glory Clouds of the Gulf of Carpentaria Aviation