NGFS views of a wildfire in Oregon
True-color imagery from the CSPP Geosphere site, above, is annotated to identify a wildfire in progress. This is one of several fires over Oregon, as evidenced by the widespread smoke that is present across the region. The animation below, shows the evolution during the day of the fires. Pyrocumulonimbus (PyroCB) clouds — with lightning (see below) — developed over the fires.
Lapse rates derived from NUCAPS profiles, below, show a large region of near-dry adiabatic conditions (between 7 and 9o C/km) over much of central Oregon where the convection developed. And individual NUCAPS profile, from 44.3oN, 122oW, below, shows an atmosphere at that point that will not greatly suppress vertical motions. The Equilibrium Level (EL) is diagnosed to be at the Tropopause.
GOES-18 Derived Stability Index values of CAPE (clear sky only) from 0300 UTC on 8 September 2024, plotted with 3.9 µm brightness temperatures and fire radiative power show instability over eastern Oregon and fire signatures.
If you know the area you are monitoring has active fires, and satellite data is telling you the overlying atmosphere is nearly unstable, what might you expect from NGFS displays? The RealEarth NGFS display is shown below, at hourly timesteps from 1700 UTC 7 September through 0100 UTC 8 September. (Here is a speedier animation.) Note the presence of LightningCast probability contours (and GLM observations). NGFS detections — in red and orange — show an increase in Fire Radiative Power. Thunderstorms develop to the west of the fire; subsequently a pyroCB develops over the main fire (GLM FED at 0014 UTC shows lightning). This is the kind of information that is useful for Fire Weather Decision Support.
