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Factors influencing the development of violent pyroconvection. Part I: fire size and stability

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Title: Factors influencing the development of violent pyroconvection. Part I: fire size and stability
Authors: Rachel L. Badlan, R. H. D. McRae, Jason P. Evans, Jason J. Sharples
Source: International Journal of Wildland Fire. 30:484-497
Publisher Information: CSIRO Publishing, 2021.
Publication Year: 2021
Subject Terms: anzsrc-for: 0502 Environmental Science and Management, 4406 Human Geography, 4104 Environmental Management, Veterinary and Food Sciences, 3007 Forestry Sciences, 41 Environmental Sciences, anzsrc-for: 3007 Forestry Sciences, anzsrc-for: 0602 Ecology, 30 Agricultural, 01 natural sciences, anzsrc-for: 41 Environmental Sciences, anzsrc-for: 30 Agricultural, anzsrc-for: 4104 Environmental Management, 13. Climate action, anzsrc-for: 44 Human Society, anzsrc-for: 4406 Human Geography, anzsrc-for: 0705 Forestry Sciences, 44 Human Society, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Description: Violent fire-driven convection can manifest as towering pyrocumulus (pyroCu) or pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) clouds, which can have devastating impacts on the environment and society. Their associated fire spread is erratic, unpredictable and not generally suppressible. Research into large pyroconvective events has mainly focused on the atmospheric processes involved in normal atmospheric convection, or on surface fire weather and associated fuel conditions. There has been comparatively less attention paid to the role of the fire itself in these coupled fire–atmosphere events. This paper draws on recent insights into dynamic fire propagation and extreme wildfire development to investigate how the fire influences the occurrence of violent pyroconvective events. A static heat source of variable dimension and intensity is used. This is accompanied by a companion paper that extends the analysis by including the effect of fire geometry on the pyroconvective plume. The analyses indicate that the spatial expanse and intensity of large fires are critical factors driving the development of pyroconvective plumes and can override the influence of the stability of the atmosphere. These findings provide motivation for further investigation into the effect of the fire’s attributes on the immediate atmosphere and have the potential to improve forecasting of blow-up fire events.
Document Type: Article
File Description: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
Language: English
ISSN: 1448-5516
1049-8001
DOI: 10.1071/wf20040
Access URL: https://www.publish.csiro.au/WF/WF20040
Rights: CC BY NC ND
Accession Number: edsair.doi.dedup.....27ab4dde6884b9c2a96bd3b4a9b828e2
Database: OpenAIRE
Description
Abstract:Violent fire-driven convection can manifest as towering pyrocumulus (pyroCu) or pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) clouds, which can have devastating impacts on the environment and society. Their associated fire spread is erratic, unpredictable and not generally suppressible. Research into large pyroconvective events has mainly focused on the atmospheric processes involved in normal atmospheric convection, or on surface fire weather and associated fuel conditions. There has been comparatively less attention paid to the role of the fire itself in these coupled fire–atmosphere events. This paper draws on recent insights into dynamic fire propagation and extreme wildfire development to investigate how the fire influences the occurrence of violent pyroconvective events. A static heat source of variable dimension and intensity is used. This is accompanied by a companion paper that extends the analysis by including the effect of fire geometry on the pyroconvective plume. The analyses indicate that the spatial expanse and intensity of large fires are critical factors driving the development of pyroconvective plumes and can override the influence of the stability of the atmosphere. These findings provide motivation for further investigation into the effect of the fire’s attributes on the immediate atmosphere and have the potential to improve forecasting of blow-up fire events.
ISSN:14485516
10498001
DOI:10.1071/wf20040