How Smoke Produced From Large Wildfires Can Affect Local Weather And Make Fires Worse

The research team’s study highlights the intricate feedback loop between wildfires and the atmosphere, suggesting that smoke produced by large wildfires may lead to more intense fires. The team’s use of various tools to measure the effect of soot and other particles emitted into the air during large wildfires could help improve our understanding of wildfire dynamics and guide the development of more effective wildfire management strategies. The publication of their research in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, Scientific Research, also indicates that their findings have undergone rigorous scrutiny and evaluation by the scientific community.

Growth of wildfires in recent decades

Planetary researchers report that huge wildfires have increased in both number and strength over the last decades. Though it is unproven, most in the field suspect the modification is because of climate change. In this new initiative, the team in China wondered what type of impact the soot from smoke produced from such fires may be having on local weather.

They gathered data from satellites and ground observation sensors to train a computer model that utilized both chemistry information and weather data to track modifications in the air and on the ground during large wildfires. They examined the effect in two places– Southeast Asia and the West Coast of the United States of America.

To get more information regarding fires in Mediterranean-type climates, such as California, the scientists concentrated intently on data gathered from the August Complex fire that burned greater than one million acres in 2020. The model showed that soot from the fire resulted in the creation of a blanket of smoke over the place and around it, trapping heat and preventing sunlight from reaching the ground– a situation that led to thermal instability. Because of that instability, air was sucked under the blanket of smoke, resulting in high-speed winds. And the wind caused dryer conditions, making the fire more intense.

In places like Southeast Asia, things were different. Though they produced almost the same outcome. The model revealed that as smoke rose in humid air, it created thunderstorms that resulted in cooling the land below– which led to avoiding seasonal monsoons from moving into the area, making things drier overall. Those conditions resulted in more intense fires.

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