The surface phenomena on ArF excimer laser ablated highly oriented pyrolitic graphite (HOPG) were monitored by means of a delay probing dye laser beam (lambda = 648 nm, FWHM approximate to 1 ns) in a Schlieren-like reflection arrangement. Images taken by this method revealed surface uplift due to thermomechanical effect on the heated HOPG. In this manner, we can measure the time the HOPG takes to cool down to 1000 K, the temperature threshold of the occurrence of thermomechanical deformation. The results are compared with these of ID temperature calculations and XTEM observations.