April: In pursuit of a Sydney fog

Professional photographer John Grainger frequently pursues weather phenomena around Sydney. In November 2004, he was in the central city about midday when he caught a glimpse of fog coming in from the sea. Hoping the sea fog would linger, he drove to the northern beaches, stopping at each headland to check the backdrop for his photographs. After about an hour he reached Newport Beach and waited for the fog to thin a little to reveal glimpses of buildings, bathers and Norfolk Island pines.

Sea fog forms when warm, moist air passes over a sea surface which is colder than the air. The air cools, and its water vapour condenses as tiny water droplets or fog. Salt particles in the air released by breaking ocean waves help form the fog by providing tiny particles (nuclei) on to which the moisture can attach. If there’s a light seabreeze, the fog will be blown towards land. Fog is a fairly common occurrence in coastal areas. The Sydney region, for instance, has about 10 to 15 fogs a year but not all are formed over the sea.

Note: The photograph in the printed calendar is NOT watermarked with a copyright symbol and name.

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