On September 9, 2024, pyrocumulus clouds formed in Southern California driven by wildfires. These clouds evolve into severe weather events, producing phenomena ranging from rainfall to lightning. Meanwhile, firefighting efforts have been stepped up to extinguish spreading linear blazes that threaten thousands of buildings.
On the afternoon of September 9, 2024, puffy white convective clouds appeared over the hills surrounding Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego. Three of the clouds differ from the others in that their convection is fueled in part by surface heat associated with intense wildfires.
Called "pyrocumulus" by meteorologists, these tall, wavy clouds often have a plume of smoke at the base, with powerful updrafts sending large amounts of smoke high into the sky. As the convective plume rises, water vapor condenses into cloud droplets around small particles, eventually forming visible clouds at the top of the plume.
Nature's fury: Pyrocumulus clouds in action
That's what started to happen when the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 captured these images of pyrocumulus clouds rising from the Line Fire in Southern California. The image includes observations in shortwave infrared light (red) to highlight the locations of active fires. A faint line of pink retardant could also be seen on the hills near Redlands.
Later that day, the pyrocumulus cloud matured into a formal thunderstorm, or pyrocumulonimbus, producing rainfall, strong wind gusts, lightning and even hail, KCAL News reported. On September 7, the San Diego office of the National Weather Service noted that similar clouds produced more than 3,700 lightning bolts from the Lane Fire. Images taken by other satellites showed smoke spiraling upward and spreading outward that day. Photos taken by ground observers also provide spectacular views of the towering smoke.
Working to put out fires amid natural chaos
According to CalFire, at least 2,000 people, 15 helicopters, 33 bulldozers and 232 engines were battling linear fires on September 10 amid a record-breaking heat wave. As of that afternoon, the fire had scorched more than 26,000 acres (105 square kilometers) but had not burned any buildings, although more than 65,600 structures were still threatened. Residents of several communities have been ordered to evacuate, including Running Springs, Forrest Falls, Mountain Home Village, Angelus Oaks and Seven Oaks.
NASA Earth Observatory image taken by Lauren Dauphin using Landsat data provided by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Compiled from /ScitechDaily