Odd cloud patterns in satellite image

Question

Many years ago when I first connected to the internet I was playing around downloading weather satellite images. This feature in one of them caught my attention. I was so intrigued with it that I kept a copy of it.

It is the pattern of clouds to the north west of the Canary Islands, containing a very pronounced spiral. I am no meteorologist, but it doesn't look like any weather pattern I have seen, it is too small and self contained to be a hurricane and I think too big for a tornado.

The image is dated October 1998.

Can anyone offer an explanation for this?

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee34/charcinders/Galaxies/SpiralCloud.jpg

Answer 1

To me it looks like a vorticity maximum embedded in a patch of closed cell cumulus clouds.  Any boats in that area probably saw some pretty gusty winds.

Answer 2

I don't know much but it looks like a storm over a Rain Forest or something..Looks pretty weird

Answer 3

That is very interesting. It could be a tropical depression. Let us hope that someone else comes by and offers a possible explanation.

Answer 4

It's between a small hurricane/tornado and a huge one like the dust devil in your backyard.

This area (and the azores) is known to make the weather for the eastern parts like europe. That's why its interesting for meteorologist.

Answer 5

They are known as Cloud Vortex Streets (sometimes known as Karmon Cloud Vortex Streets) and are found downwind of the lee side of an Island.  Here are some links with explanations and some examples.  Enjoy!

http://www.truecolorearth.com/tce-Canary...

http://geosci.uchicago.edu/~nnn/LAB/DEMO...

http://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceancolor/sci...

http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_set.ph...

http://www.eorc.jaxa.jp/ALOS/img_up/pal_...

http://www.earthscienceworld.org/images/...