Rare actinoform clouds swirl off the coast of Peru
A vast field of actinoform clouds stretches across the south-eastern Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Peru, in this Copernicus Sentinel-3 image acquired on 25 May 2026.
Actinoform clouds are cloud formations with a distinctive radial shape, creating patterns which resemble giant flowers spread across the atmosphere. They usually form within large layers of marine stratocumulus clouds through interactions between moisture, temperature, wind, and airborne particles.
In this image, the dark waters of the Pacific Ocean contrast with the bright white cloud tops, making the complex structure of the cloud field clearly visible. Breaks in the cloud cover expose the ocean below, making the radial patterns of the clouds easier to see.
Copernicus Sentinel-3 data support the monitoring of cloud patterns over the oceans, helping scientists better understand large-scale atmospheric processes and the interactions between clouds, weather, and climate.
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