Whether a smoke or dust plume has a heating—or cooling—effect on the atmosphere can depend on whether it is above clouds.
Published Oct 17, 2014
Heat from New Mexico’s Silver fire produced a towering pyrocumulus cloud on June 12, 2013.
Published Jun 14, 2013
In certain environments, dark particles in smoke from fires can inhibit cloud formation and limit rainfall.
Published Sep 24, 2015
Wildfire smoke contains dark sooty particles that can “burn off” clouds.
Published Aug 8, 2013
Smoke and heat from fires may be burning off cloud cover over parts of Africa.
Published Jun 2, 2017
Actinoform clouds pop up off the western coast of Australia.
Published Feb 7, 2020
In August 2014, MODIS captured an unusual view of mature pyrocumulus clouds billowing up from a fire along the border of California and Oregon.
Published Aug 6, 2014
Fires in Russia in May 2014 fueled pyrocumulus clouds that pumped smoke high into the atmosphere.
Published May 21, 2014
A growing body of research indicates that smoke above clouds can have important consequences for the climate.
Published May 11, 2016
The aerosol index offers a way to see the long reach of forest fires and dust storms.
Published Jul 29, 2014
A vertical profile of wispy, icy clouds reveals their complex structure.
Published Jul 15, 2015
An open-celled cloud over the Pacific Ocean had a shape reminiscent of a certain circular letter of the alphabet.
Published Sep 27, 2014
Satellite images separated by 50 years show actinoform clouds over the Pacific Ocean.
Published Jul 19, 2012
This photo-like image from August 4, 2010, shows intense fires burning across central Russia and a thick plume of smoke stretching about 3,000 kilometers (1,860 miles).
Published Aug 5, 2010
With dozens of wildfires burning in a part of Russia best known for its frigid winters, the CALIPSO satellite offered this view through the clouds and smoke.
Published Jul 30, 2014
Fires are burning so fiercely that they are lofting smoke to unusual heights.
Published Jan 9, 2020Image of the Day Atmosphere Heat Drought Fires Remote Sensing
It is not difficult to imagine that a gigantic volcanic eruption spewing thick clouds of ash and gas high into the atmosphere would change the weather. But these satellite images show that a small, steady, simmering eruption also affects the atmosphere.
Published Jan 31, 2008
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