Two recent NASA studies have found that Kelvin-Helmholtz waves, which have a classic surfing shape, are much more common in the Earth’s outer atmospheres than originally thought, and some could be triggered by plasma that flows outward.
A distinctive pattern that is familiar on Earth is apparently also highly visible outside of it.
Two recent NASA studies focus on Kelvin-Helmholtz waves, which resemble a series of classic surfer waves with swooped curls pointing in the same direction.
The phenomenon, which was first observed in the 1800s, occurs when a fast entity, for example--wind, speeds past a slower one like water.
This is why the pattern can often be seen in the ocean.
The new research shows that Kelvin-Helmholtz waves are also common around the Earth’s space environment, with one of the authors stating, “It turns out they can appear under any conditions and are
