Superior mirage is an atmospheric phenomenon often seen by sailors when the air is hot over much cooler water. This day, Thursday 17 June 2021, when I came over the rise on the road to South Beach, I noticed a pretty good example of superior mirage occurring over the Strait of Juan de Fuca. To the west southwest I could see ships anchored off of Victoria, British Columbia. While they were probably low freeboard bulk carriers eventually headed to the coal docks at Tsawwassen, they all looked like the big box car carriers. The box look was from the reflection of the hull in the superior mirage.

In the video to better illustrate that effect, I pan across the view of the Olympic Mountains to a view of Mt. Rainier through Admiralty Inlet. That is the opening between Point Wilson at Port Townsend, on the west side, and Whidbey Island, on the east side. You can see the reflection of the flatter land of Point Wilson extending out from the reflection of the bluff at Fort Warden. Even more dramatic is a dark line in the sky crossing the view of Mt. Rainier. It looks like a plume of smoke from a steamship burning black. Yet, most likely, it was a reflection of Marrowstone Island! Farther to the east is the reflection of the bluff on Whidbey Island on top of the actual bluff.

I mention two other fun facts.
The road to South Beach, to the side of which I parked to make the video, runs north and south. It lies directly on the longitude meridian 123° West.
And, with a slight correction to my statement ...
Mt. Rainier, which was quite visible that day, is 125 statute miles from my position on San Juan Island! I had stated it was 140 miles. Using the measuring tool on Navionics I got the nautical mile distance and then converted it to statute miles (land miles), x 1.151.

Check out these two links:
[ Ссылка ]
[ Ссылка ]

Delving into them causes me to consider that we may have witnessed Fata Morgana, a combination of inferior mirage and superior mirage. The curious name elicited further research. The UBC site states it refers to the fairy Morgana of the King Arthur legend as she could create illusions of castles in the sky.

That page of the UBC site ends with a description of the green flash, one of my favorite atmospheric phenomena. I plan to address the green flash another time. Yes, I have seen it.

свернуть