Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Plate 9.2
A polar low pressure system located in the Arctic Ocean on 25 February, 2008. On the right side of this
image are the Queen Elizabeth Islands, Canada. Polar lows are similar to tropical cyclones if they reach sufficient
strength but last only about 12 to 36 hours. They cause high surface winds and snow, and are often easily
recognizable in satellite images because of their characteristic pattern, sometimes called a 'comma cloud' because
of their hook-like shape.
Source: Jeff Schmaltz, Visible Earth, NASA.
