PyroCumulonimbus, POLARCAT, and ARCTAS

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PyroCumulonimbus, POLARCAT, and ARCTAS
Mike Fromm, Naval Research Lab
POLARCAT meeting 4-6 June 2007
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The Chisholm (Alberta) PyroCb
28 May 2001
Lessons for IPY, POLARCAT and ARCTAS
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Terra MODIS True Color 29 May 01 1840 UTC
w/ IR Brightness Temperature Overlay
The Day After Chisholm Smoke
Plume Northwest Territories
65N
-40ºC -50ºC
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TOMS Aerosol Index Day After Chisholm
20,000 tons of smoke in stratosphere 5 of NH
strat sulfate mass
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Figure 13
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Figure 14b
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Figure 14a
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Figure 14c
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Figure 14d
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Figure 14e
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Chisholm Smoke in the Stratosphere

to Mauna Loa 20N !!
From Spitsbergen 80
Tropopause
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First forecast pyroCb of 2006
First Forecast pyroCb http//rammb.cira.colostate.
edu/projects/pyrocu/28jun06/visloop.asp http//ram
mb.cira.colostate.edu/projects/pyrocu/28jun06/ch4l
oop.asp http//rammb.cira.colostate.edu/projects/p
yrocu/28jun06/ch2loop.asp
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First forecast pyroCb of 2006
fires/ convection
NASAGiovanni web page site http//giovanni.gsf
c.nasa.gov/
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3 July 2006 pyroCbs just 5 days after
previous blowup
http//rammb.cira.colostate.edu/projects/pyrocu/3j
ul06/visloop.asp http//rammb.cira.colostate.edu/p
rojects/pyrocu/3jul06/ch2loop.asp
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3 July 2006 pyroCbs The Day-after plume(s)
on 4 July
NASAGiovanni web page site http//giovanni.gsf
c.nasa.gov/
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3 July 2006 pyroCbs CALIPSO shots of young
plume
532 nm total attenuated backscatter
Radiosonde
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3 July 2006 pyroCbs CALIPSO shots of young
plume
1064 nm total attenuated backscatter
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3 July 2006 pyroCbs CALIPSO shots of young
plume
532 nm perpendicular attenuated backscatter
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(No Transcript)
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2007s First PyroCb Ham Lake Fire Minnesota/Onta
rio 10 May 2007
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Active Ham Lake pyroCb
AQUA MODIS 10 May 2007 1905 UTC
Lake Superior
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Credit http//maps.geog.umd.edu/firms/shapes.htm
Before pyroCb. Capping Cu starting to form.
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Fire front advances 6 km. ROS 3.4 km/hr
BOOM!
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Day After Ham Lake
Plume OMI AI CALIPSO cuts
through the plume just east of AI max.
CALIPSO swath (approx.)
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Zoom. Smoke layer straddles 10 km.
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The Amazing Russian ?pyroCb? Of 20 September
1998
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20 Sep Before
the blowup
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21 Sep Oh my! AI17 at 70N
SeaWiFS, 22 Sep 0043 UTC
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22 Sep
SeaWiFS, 2215 UTC
DMSP, 2120 UTC
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23 Sep
SeaWiFS, 1804 UTC
DMSP, 1804 UTC
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23 Sep
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24 Sep
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24 Sep
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1000 hPa Analysis
20 Sep 1998
Cold Front
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Summary pyroconvection is much more abundant
than generally known pyroCb predictability is
achievable real-time monitoring from ground
NRT from space is invaluable young plumes
can spread throughout the troposphere most
intense day after plumes have lots of smoke,
H2O, ice essential to monitor day-to-day and
even diurnal fire behavior aged plumes from
America and Russia can blow into POLARCAT
instrument regions weeks-old plumes might also
present given the strongest pyroCb