A-Train Observations of Pyrocumulonimbus Events
Abstract
Until relatively recently, it was believed that only volcanic eruptions released enough energy to directly inject aerosols from the troposphere to the stratosphere. Now, numerous satellite and ground-based observations reveal troposphere to stratosphere exchange by convection due to large fires, pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb). NASA's A-Train satellite suite is uniquely equipped to study pyroCb with instruments including the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiaometer (MODIS) on Agua, the CALIPSO lidar, and the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and Ozone Monitoring Instrument on Aura. We present integrated analyses of several recent pyroCb events to illustrate the A-Train's capabilities to monitor the occurrence of pyroCb's, track their downwind motions in three dimensions, and measure their chemical and particulate impacts.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2007
- Bibcode:
- 2007AGUFM.A33A0836W
- Keywords:
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- 0322 Constituent sources and sinks;
- 0365 Troposphere: composition and chemistry;
- 0368 Troposphere: constituent transport and chemistry;
- 0394 Instruments and techniques;
- 3360 Remote sensing