DistantNews
Support us
NASA's ER-2 Aircraft Studies Wildfire-Induced Thunderstorms
🇬🇷 Greece /Disasters & Emergencies

NASA's ER-2 Aircraft Studies Wildfire-Induced Thunderstorms

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • NASA is studying extreme thunderstorms, called pyrocumulonimbus, that form above large wildfires.
  • A modified U-2 aircraft, the ER-2, is collecting data to understand how these storms develop and improve future predictions.
  • These storms can generate lightning, high winds, and even fire whirls, with smoke plumes reaching the stratosphere and spreading far from the fire's origin.

NASA's ER-2 aircraft, a specialized flying laboratory, is at the forefront of a scientific mission to understand the dramatic impact of large wildfires. The mission, dubbed INSPYRE, focuses on pyrocumulonimbus clouds – massive thunderstorms fueled by the intense heat of wildfires. These phenomena are notoriously difficult to predict.

The ER-2, a modified U-2 plane, is crucial for this research. It flies at high altitudes, around 65,000 feet, directly above wildfire-induced storms. By making repeated passes, it gathers vital data on smoke behavior and storm dynamics. The aircraft's instruments measure smoke column size and height, air movement within the storm, and cloud electrical activity.

The smoke from the fire is channeled upwards, accelerated within the vertical column, and then released into the upper atmosphere.

— David PetersonDavid Peterson, lead researcher for INSPYRE and a meteorologist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, explains the process of pyrocumulonimbus formation.

David Peterson, lead researcher for INSPYRE and a meteorologist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, likens the process to a chimney. Intense heat from a fire pushes smoke and hot air high into the atmosphere, igniting storm development. These storms can produce lightning, powerful winds, and even fire whirls, sometimes intensifying the original fire. Scientists have learned that these smoke plumes can reach the stratosphere, allowing winds to carry particles vast distances, extending the fire's impact far beyond its immediate location.

The INSPYRE mission also involves a Gulfstream V aircraft that flies directly into the storm clouds to take measurements. The data from both aircraft complement each other, providing a comprehensive understanding of these extreme weather events. This research aims to improve the prediction of pyrocumulonimbus clouds, offering valuable insights into the complex relationship between wildfires and atmospheric phenomena.

The process resembles the ejection of material from a volcano.

— David PetersonDavid Peterson compares the high-altitude smoke plumes to volcanic eruptions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog