At an extreme height over the Pacific Ocean, a number of satellite systems recorded Sinlaku gravity waves unlike any that had existed.
And that’s where what was happening stopped making sense.
The storm’s unusually high activity created powerful waves while also displacing the surrounding air. Waves ascended vertically until they exceeded the upper reaches of the atmosphere and approached the top of the atmospheric boundary layer.
What was driving that motion so far above the storm?
Sinlaku didn’t behave like a typical storm
Storms don’t have to come to an end. They spin, intensify, and create standard types of damage.
In contrast, it contained an uncharacteristic type of power.
The tall cloud towers associated with it rose higher than those found in other storms.
In fact, they penetrated into levels of the atmosphere that normally have few disturbances.
It wasn’t just the speed of its wind or the amount of rain, but its ability to penetrate into higher-than-normal atmospheric layers.
Scientists knew prior to this study that severe storms could push air upward. However, the system demonstrated an intensity never seen before.
There were no signs of disturbance from ground level; however, significant changes were occurring much higher above.
When the sky began behaving differently
Satellite images showed a highly organized series of small, repetitive ripples moving upward into the upper atmosphere.
These structures were identified by their shape, which resembled small waves.
Clouds were not drifting across the area as they normally do, nor was there typical wind movement. Many of them traveled long distances—thousands of miles—far beyond where storms usually extend.
Some also caused slight movements in the thin layer of air near the edge of space.
There were reports that many of these waves followed a rhythmic pattern.
Reviewers of the imagery noted that the upper atmosphere appeared to be responding to an unknown force below.
Satellite imagery is changing how we track extreme weather, and NASA Science captures these atmospheric ripples in stunning detail.
This raised another question: what unknown force could be transferring such large amounts of energy into the upper atmosphere?
The force transferring energy high above the storm
There was no indication that the storm could reach that high.
From the ground, it appeared that everything was contained within the lower atmospheric layers.
It became clear that whatever forces were acting above the storm were doing so rapidly. The air itself appeared to act as a conduit for this energy transfer.
As scientists continued studying the event, a recognizable pattern began to emerge.
The result of Sinlaku’s activity
Atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs), produced as a result of displaced air, are not related to gravity outside Earth but describe how air behaves when disturbed.
Strong updrafts from Sinlaku pushed large volumes of air upward, and gravity then pulled that air back down.
As the air moved upward and downward, it created waves similar to ripples on water when disturbed. Unlike ripples on a pond, these waves did not remain near the storm.
They moved through multiple layers of the atmosphere and grew larger as the air became thinner.
Its strong updrafts pushed air upward with enough force that gravity responded with vertical oscillations.
This explains why a super typhoon can produce “atmospheric gravitational waves.”
It was not simply wind speed that created them, but how strongly the storm disrupted the balance of motion.
These waves show how connected Earth’s systems are, even during common processes like storms. What begins over the ocean can extend far beyond what most people consider part of the upper atmosphere.
Examples like this show that even familiar systems can behave in ways we are still learning to understand.
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