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Orographic gravity waves are often associated with clear-air turbulence and pose a particular detection challenge when clouds are not present. With the advent of higher resolution 4 km water vapor imagery on GOES-12, the potential to detect a gravity wave's alternating cool air rising/warm air sinking signature is significantly enhanced.
Shown here is a comparison between GOES-12, -10, and -8 water vapor images for orographic waves near Alamosa, Colorado. Notice that these waves are all but indistinguishable in the GOES-8 and GOES-10 imagery (outside panels), whereas GOES-12 with its higher 4 km resolution depicts a distinct "herringbone" pattern commonly observed with orographic wave clouds.
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