As wildfires have sent palls of smoke streaming across large swaths of North America, some have spawned fire-breathing thunderstorm clouds. They also can help spread harmful particulate pollution far and wide, and even drive smoke into the stratosphere, five to seven miles above Earth's surface. A Rise in Fire-Breathing Smoke Storm ActivityIt has long been known that pyrocumulonimbus clouds rise up from volcanic eruptions and nuclear explosions. This gargantuan cloud propelled a chimney of smoke into the stratosphere, as high as 10 miles up. As part of the study, scientists analyzed 13 years of airborne observations to determine what makes up pyrocumulonimbus smoke and to quantify its impact on the stratosphere.

Source: Punch July 22, 2024 07:07 UTC