[{SlideShowNav}] !!!Karman vortices [{Image src='180rs.jpg' width='835' height='800' caption='Image courtesy of USGS. ' alt='Karman vortices ' class='image_left'}] [{SET customtitle='Karman vortices '}] When wind-driven clouds encounter obstacles, in this case islands, they flow around them to form large, spinning eddies known as Karman vortices. The Karman vortices in this high-resolution satellite photo formed over the islands of Broutona, Chirpoy, and Brat Chirpoyev (Chirpoys Brother), all part of the Kuril Island chain found between Russias Kamchatka Peninsula and Japan.