Easily lost in the resplendent, stunning grandeur of the Big Island’s Waipio Valley overlook is a meteorological lesson—at least, amidst the northeasterly (right to left) flow so common to this area. The ragged deck of stratocumulus thickens just inland, with an edge very near the coast, for good reason: sharp uplift of the marine boundary layer over the steep terrain on either side of the valley. A slot-shaped break in the clouds, not seen in this view but manifest as sunshine on the foreground plants, represented gentler inland lift up-valley. Microclimates, especially in complex terrain near oceans, can cause great variability in the average conditions in very short distances, that may not ever be recorded nor accounted in weather models, due to a lack of sufficiently dense weather stations to sample it for input. As for the valley, where taro is grown in rich, volcanically derived sediments, streams carved it between more-resistant lava decks; someday, it too may host some lava flows. Unknown to me at this time, a small waterfall tumbled to the surf within just dozens of feet to the right.
1 W Kukuihaele HI (3 Jan 18) Looking NW
20.118, -155.5844Orographic Stratocumulus: Waipio Valley and Beach
Easily lost in the resplendent, stunning grandeur of the Big Island’s Waipio Valley overlook is a meteorological lesson—at least, amidst the northeasterly (right to left) flow so common to this area. The ragged deck of stratocumulus thickens just inland, with an edge very near the coast, for good reason: sharp uplift of the marine boundary layer over the steep terrain on either side of the valley. A slot-shaped break in the clouds, not seen in this view but manifest as sunshine on the foreground plants, represented gentler inland lift up-valley. Microclimates, especially in complex terrain near oceans, can cause great variability in the average conditions in very short distances, that may not ever be recorded nor accounted in weather models, due to a lack of sufficiently dense weather stations to sample it for input. As for the valley, where taro is grown in rich, volcanically derived sediments, streams carved it between more-resistant lava decks; someday, it too may host some lava flows. Unknown to me at this time, a small waterfall tumbled to the surf within just dozens of feet to the right.
1 W Kukuihaele HI (3 Jan 18) Looking NW
20.118, -155.5844