NASA satellites capture atmospheric gravity waves created high above Hurricane Simon

National Aeronautics and Space Administration satellites captured imagery of massive atmospheric gravity waves rippling high above Hurricane Simon while the storm remained off the Pacific coast of Mexico, according to reports by ScienceDaily, Earth.com, and Inkorr. The atmospheric disturbances occurred at the same time as the storm produced high winds and flooding along the Mexican coastline. [1][2][4][6]

Atmospheric gravity waves occur when displaced air rises and gravity pulls it back downward, generating wave-like oscillations high in the atmosphere that are usually invisible from space. Inkorr reported that Hurricane Simon reached Category 4 intensity, generating severe atmospheric movements during its passage along the coast. [1][4][5][6]

Hurricane Simon formed on October 7, 2026, from a low-pressure system south of Mexico. It was the twenty-first named storm, eleventh hurricane, and ninth major hurricane of the 2026 Pacific hurricane season. [7]

The satellite observations provide researchers with rare data on how intense tropical cyclones interact with and disrupt Earth's upper atmosphere, according to ScienceDaily and Earth.com. [1][4]