Wildfire smoke lofted into atmosphere could affect Earth’s climate.
Wildfire smoke lofted into atmosphere could affect Earth’s climate.
Some wildfires are so intense, they create their own weather – thunderstorms driven by heat that hurtle smoke as high as 10 miles into the sky like giant chimneys.
When these smoke plumes reach the thin, calm air of the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, they can persist for weeks or even months – yet their exact effects on the Earth’s climate aren’t well known because they’re difficult to capture and measure.
An atmospheric science team in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) took an audacious swing at directly observing fresh wildfire smoke that found its way into the uppermost troposphere, about nine miles above Earth’s surface.
Read More: Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS)
Photo Credit: photo-graphe via Pixabay
