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Extreme Pyroconvective Updrafts During a Megafire
Author(s) -
Rodriguez B.,
Lareau N. P.,
Kingsmill D. E.,
Clements C. B.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2020gl089001
Subject(s) - supercell , cloud base , thunderstorm , environmental science , tropopause , meteorology , mesoscale meteorology , atmospheric sciences , troposphere , climatology , geology , cloud computing , geography , computer science , operating system
Airborne cloud radar reveals extreme wildfire updrafts (~60 m s −1 ) and downdrafts (~30 m s −1 ) rivaling those in supercell thunderstorms. These extreme vertical velocities occur through a 3‐km‐deep layer and below the base of a developing pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) cloud, which extends to the tropopause at 12 km. In situ aircraft sampling shows updrafts are linked to large temperature and moisture excesses but remain subsaturated at flight level (i.e., below cloud base). Parcel estimates using the in situ data help explain how these “hot‐moist” updrafts trigger the overlying pyroCb. The extreme vertical motions observed also pose a previously undocumented aviation hazard.