Fire-Driven Clouds And Swirling Winds Whipped Up Record-Setting New Mexico Wildfire

Alexandria, VA—The massive 2011 Las Conchas Fire near Los Alamos, N.M., defied conventional fire science wisdom by racing downhill instead of uphill, and increasing intensity overnight. A team led by atmospheric scientist Young-Joon Kim at Los Alamos National Laboratory determined that two unique atmospheric effects — mountain waves and pyro-cumulus clouds — interacted in an explosive way to fan the flames over New Mexico.

Read more about the new research and how it compares to traditional fire models in EARTH Magazine.

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