The highest point in Korea is Taibaek Mountains run along the country east coast. Rather, it is found atop a volcano on Jeju Island, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of the Korean peninsula. In the winter of 2026, the wind was blowing across the island and the clouds were in just the right shape to swirl.

of modis NASA’s (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) Terra A satellite captured images of swirling clouds and colorful turbulent water near Jeju Island on February 19, 2026. The island rises approximately 1,950 meters (6,400 feet) above sea level. At the center of this is Hallasana shield volcano that last erupted in the 11th century, contains notable volcanoes. network of lava tubes.

The subsequent staggered spiral is Von Karman’s whirlpool cityscapeformed when a fluid passes through a tall, isolated, stationary object. If the wind is too weak, the clouds will simply pass by smoothly, if the wind is too strong, the vortices will not be able to maintain their shape. In the sweet spot where the wind blows 18km and 54km At speeds of 11 and 34 miles per hour, clouds follow air currents in counter-rotating vortex patterns. Although the underlying physics is the same, the vortices can look different. They may be faintly visible, as here, or they may form more sharply defined parallel rows, as occurred in the same location. The day before.

In mid-February, the sea and air near Jeju Island became rough. In the West, large amounts of sediment have spewed out from the coast of China’s Jiangsu province, turning the sea murky. Although brown, sediment-laden water exists year-round in shallow coastal areas, vast plumes like this common in winter. Research shows that seasonality change in flow and vertical mixing Large winter plumes may be explained by water column effects.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison using NASA MODIS data. ios dislance and GIBS/Worldview. Story by Lindsay Dorman.

• global volcanism program; Halla. Accessed February 23, 2026.
• NASA Earth Observatory (February 24, 2024) Sediments spread along the banks of the Yangtze River. Accessed February 23, 2026.
• NASA Earth Observatory (November 16, 2008) Jeju Island, South Korea. Accessed February 23, 2026.
• UNESCO World Heritage Convention (2018) Jeju volcanic island and lava tube. Accessed February 23, 2026.
• Weather Underground (December 2019) Vortices, curls, and tiny vortices: The science behind the von Karman vortices. Accessed February 23, 2026.