NASA and the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have partnered to launch the Injected Smoke and Pyrocumulonimbus Experiment (INSPYRE) field experiment, a multi-year collaborative effort aimed at improving predictive weather modeling through detailed analysis of wildfire-induced atmospheric behavior. The project is led by NRL and funded by NASA.
Pyrocumulonimbus clouds
The scientists will look to better understand pyrocumulonimbus clouds, or pyroCbs, which are byproducts of the wildfires that are increasingly common around the world.
“These are thunderstorms that develop directly over large and intense wildfires,” said David Peterson, PhD, a meteorologist with NRL. “They act like giant chimneys, rapidly accelerating smoke particles high into the atmosphere. They’re among the darkest, dirtiest storm clouds you’ll ever see.”
The researchers also highlight that, unlike typical thunderstorms, pyroCbs can inject smoke into the upper atmosphere, potentially altering weather patterns, reducing visibility and interfering with operations critical to US military readiness.
“Sometimes that smoke can reach the lower stratosphere,” Peterson said. “This can affect how solar radiation is absorbed or reflected and creates a significant gap in our forecasting capabilities.”
Evolving atmospheric forecasts
“Reliable weather forecasting is essential for effective mission planning,” Peterson said. “The work we do at NRL focuses specifically on atmospheric hazards that impact warfighters, especially aerosol particles like wildfire smoke and their effects on radiation and visibility.”
INSPYRE will collect data on how and where smoke plumes travel, and at what altitudes, with the goal of enhancing models that inform Department of Defense operations and disaster response.
“It’s a project where many different groups will benefit,” said Peterson. “We’re proud to be at the center of this critical research. It’s an exciting time for all of us at NRL.”
In related news, NASA recently chose Yunyao Li, assistant professor in the University of Texas at Arlington’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, to develop an early warning system to alert communities when wildfire smoke may make the air unsafe to breathe. Read the full story here