Icelandic Cyclones

Two cyclones swirl south of Iceland in this satellite image. While the two storms' distinctive spiral patterns are clearly visible at left and right, white clouds cover most of the image. Some of Iceland can be seen at the top middle of the image, as well as part of Scotland at bottom right.

A cyclone is a low-pressure area of winds that spiral inwards. Although tropical storms most often come to mind, these spiraling storms can also form at mid- and high latitudes. Two such cyclones formed in tandem south of Iceland in November 2006.

NASA/Jesse Allen

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer flying aboard NASA’s Terra satellite took this picture of two cyclones near Iceland on Nov. 20, 2006. Though we usually think of cyclones occurring in the tropics, these spiraling storms can also form at mid- and high latitudes. Cyclones at these latitudes are actually fairly common, and they drive much of the Earth’s weather.

Image credit: NASA/Jesse Allen