Pyrocumulus

FORMATION

As its Etymology might suggest, pyrocumulus is produced by the Heat ing of the Air and the air Convection it causes, often also in the presence of heavy Moisture . Phenomena such as a Volcanic Eruption , Forest Fire or Industrial activities can be at the origin of this cloud. Pyrocumulus clouds begin with a large fire (normally the result of two smaller fires suddenly colliding), which super-heats the air above it. This low density warm air cools, and falls back to earth, where the fire sucks it back in, and throws it up into the air again. This continual cycle grows very rapidly, forming a tall large column of fire soaring up to a mile high. This produces alot of smoke, which is released up to 10 miles into the air, out of the troposphere and into the statosphere. Smoke is a condensation nuclei, meaning that water vapor in the air condenses around the nuclei, (which can include dust, smoke, ash, etc.) and forms water droplets. These droplets hit each other, causing a positive/negative charge, which causes severe lightning.

APPEARANCE

Pyrocumulus is often greyish to brown in color, because of the ash and Smoke associated with the fire. This immense cumulus cloud tends to rotate as it grows vertically. It also tends to expand, because the smoke and the ash involved in the cloud's formation increase the amount of Condensation Nuclei . This actually poses a problem, as the cloud can trigger a Thunderstorm and emit Lightning , setting off new forest fires.

Pyrocumulus can develop into a Cumulonimbus in particularly unstable conditions.

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Pyrocumulus