With the weather forecast for late this week shaping up for bitter cold, you might be considering curling up next to a blazing fire holding your favorite warm beverage. Others, however, are planning to head out into the cold in search of an uncommon phenomenon, known as sea smoke, frost smoke, or steam fog. This occurs primarily when still frigid air moves slowly over relatively warmer water. It is commonly seen in the polar regions (where it is known as Arctic sea smoke), but is rarely seen in Maine. The above photo was taken on a 10 below morning in a coastal Maine port, where the under-prepared photographer (me) was actually stopped by a police officer to make sure I was ok as I sat huddled on a dock trying to keep my legs and hands warm waiting for the sun to crest the horizon!
Sea smoke is actually exactly the opposite of fog, which occurs when warm air moves over cold water. Here, the "smoke" is actually water vapor that forms when the cold air moves over the warmer water and the thin boundary layer of warm air just above the surface. The evaporating water rises - and the cold air can only hold so much moisture, forcing the liquid to condense into fog. Clouds of "smoke" rise and dance across the surface, turning the scene into a cauldron of smoke. The event is much more dramatic if the winds are light, holding the water vapor in place closer to the surface. However, there was a brisk wind the day I shot the above photos, even though it doesn't show. For this reason - it is often best to look for sea smoke early in the day - around sunrise - when winds are (usually) calm.
So how cold does it have to be to get to see this? Well, really, really cold. Cold enough that one should wear a few extra layers, as I learned. In the Gulf of Maine, the winter sea-surface temperatures usually hover around 30 degrees. The greater the temperature difference between the water and the air - the better probability of smoke forming. Usually, it might start to form when the air is below 10 degrees and the wind is still - but the probability is better once the temps drop below 0. This also results in faster smoke formation, and more prolific smoke. But remember to check the temperature where you are going to look for smoke! Often the coast is quite a bit warmer than inland -- and although your forecast may be for -19 (yikes!), it may well not be that at the water body of choice for you!
So throw on a few extra layers, pack some handwarmers and a thermos of a good hot drink - and head to the water and look for sea smoke later this week! It can be seen over any body of water if you are lucky, even lakes and streams - which may still be open given the strange lack of ice we are experiencing. But when in doubt, the sea (especially a quiet bay) may be your best option.
And next, just a small note for the photographers amongst you along with the "instagram quiz" -- so scroll on down......
This week saw some nice conditions for long exposure photography, and I took advantage of them one evening near sunset. Since I have the attention span of a squirrel, I took along a second camera so that while one was "busy" for a prolonged period of time, I could amuse myself with tidepool creatures. Luckily for me, the waves were crashing into the rocks, creating tall plumes to photograph with a shorter shutter speed. And then a lovely gull flew through the scene, attaining a lovely red hue from the lowering sun on the horizon. I did what all photographers do, I panned with the gull to get a sharp shot. However, I did commit a serious crime, in that I turned my back on the long-exposure camera.
The moral of the lesson? NEVER turn your back on the tide. Whether you are photographing, tidepooling, or just exploring the coast -- it only takes an instant and one wave that is a bit larger than the rest to ruin your day........
And lastly -- the instagram quiz! Who is this lovely couple? (hint, there may be some identity confusion involved!). If you don't know, pop over to my instagram page to find out!