2025/07/01 by Wang, Qing, Gazen, Cenk, Ihme, Matthias +6
#Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics (physics.ao-ph) #Computational Physics (physics.comp-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #Fluid Dynamics (physics.flu-dyn)
paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2507.01237
Pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) firestorms -- wildfire-generated thunderstorms -- can trigger rapid fire spread. However, the multi-physics nature of pyroCb has made their core mechanisms inaccessible to direct observation and previous simulation and prediction efforts. We introduce a new simulation capability with the first high-resolution, fully coupled simulations of a pyroCb, allowing us to unravel its life cycle governed by two opposing mechanisms. We show fuel moisture is an energy sink that attenuates fire intensity rather than fueling clouds, resolving a long-standing debate. Conversely, we identify the driver of rapid intensification: the Self-Amplifying Fire-Induced Recirculation (SAFIR) mechanism, where precipitation-induced downdrafts intensify the parent fire under weak winds. This work provides a new mechanistic framework for pyroCb prediction and demonstrates a transformative computational approach for previously intractable problems in environmental science.