Smoke From Australia Bushfires Completes Circumnavigation Of The Earth
Wildfire smoke from the Australian bushfires has circumnavigated the Earth, according to data compiled by NASA satellites in orbit around our planet.
NASA scientists have been tracking the trajectory of the smoke and aerosols since late December using data from the NOAA/NASA Suomi NPP satellite, linking the devastation of the bushfires with "unprecedented" conditions such as searing heat and historic dryness.
These conditions have caused an abnormally large number of fire-generated thunderstorms known as pyrocumulonimbus events. Such thunderstorms have sent the bushfire smoke high into the atmosphere, helping to kickstart its journey around the world. "Pyrocumulonimbus events provide a pathway for smoke to reach the stratosphere more than 10 miles in altitude," NASA wrote in a blog post last Thursday. "Once in the stratosphere, the smoke can travel thousands of miles from its source, affecting atmospheric conditions globally."
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By early last week, the smoke had traveled halfway around the world, detected in parts of South America, some 7,500 miles from its source in Australia. Skies turned hazy, causing colorful sunrises and sunsets. Now, this week, that smoke has returned to Australia, completing its circumnavigation of the globe. The air quality in Australia was so poor Tuesday that professional tennis player Dalila Jakupovic collapsed during a qualifying match at the Australian Open.
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https://weather.com/news/weather/news/2020-01-15-australia-bushfire-smoke-circumnavigates-entire-earth