Earth from Orbit: Wildfires Spawn Severe Weather

Wildfires continue to rage in the western U.S. Some of the most intense fires have generated their own weather, with thunderstorms, lightning, and even a confirmed tornado.

As a fire burns, it generates a large amount of heat, which causes air and moisture to rise, along with smoke and ash. When it reaches the upper atmosphere, it often cools and condenses to form what are known as pyrocumulus or “fire clouds” over the blaze. Some of the moisture is already present in the atmosphere, while some of it also evaporates from burning plants fueling the fire below. If the fire is large enough, the intense heating can generate a smoke-infused thunderstorm, or pyrocumulonimbus cloud, also known as pyroCb.

PyroCb clouds can produce lightning, which can set off even more fires. They also generate stronger winds, which fan the fire, making it hotter and helping it spread. In some cases, the air may rise so fast that it creates a tornado.

Credits:
NOAA
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
CIRA
Additional Images of the Dixie Fire by the California Department Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)/Flickr CALFIRE_Official

Music:
“Shifting Reality,” by Boris Nonte [BMI] & Gregg Lehrman [ASCAP]; Network Music; Universal Production Music

[dennyhenry]

What kind of forest fire produces columns of smoke, and mushroom clouds?