NASA · Space

NASA Campaign Studies Wildfire-Generated Clouds

NASA's INSPYRE campaign aimed to study pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) clouds, powerful weather phenomena spawned by intense wildfires that can inject smoke into the stratosphere.

These clouds rise above fires, producing lightning and winds that can intensify flames. PyroCb smoke can reach altitudes of 30,000 to 50,000 feet, spreading globally and persisting longer than smoke in the lower atmosphere.

Scientists are investigating the factors driving pyroCb formation, whether fire energetics or atmospheric conditions, as their smoke impacts climate and weather.

The INSPYRE campaign used a Gulfstream jet and NASA's ER-2 aircraft, along with ground sensors, to collect data on smoke particles, gases, and cloud properties.

The research seeks to understand how wildfire smoke is transported, transformed, and its ultimate fate in the stratosphere.

Improved understanding of pyroCbs could lead to better fire forecasts, including warnings for dangerous downdrafts and wind shifts, aiding firefighters.

Additionally, the data will help refine Earth system models that currently do not fully account for pyroCb smoke injections, improving climate predictions.

A key challenge was predicting and reaching these rapidly forming clouds; however, researchers successfully gathered data from a pyroCb over the Wildhorse fire in Idaho.

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