Science Reports on Australia’s Devastation as the World Witnesses the Emergence of a Wildfire Tornado.

John Vaillant, author of “Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World,” recounts the harrowing experience of Tom Bates during the Australian bush fire season of 2002-2003. Bates captured on video a phenomenon, which was later named “pyro-tornadogenesis,” that was never before seen on Earth. While wildfires can generate small twisters known as fire whirls, Bates witnessed something different. He saw a tornado rising up out of the wildfire itself during a week of lightning-caused fires that killed 4 people, injured more than 400, and destroyed 500 homes. The fire tornado had horizontal winds of 160 mph, equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, and was the first documented example of its kind. Fire scientists now understand that a fire tornado is generated by a pyrocumulonimbus thunderstorm, and both are the result of high-intensity wildfires burning in hilly terrain on exceptionally hot days that have been further energized by incoming high-pressure systems and, some believe, by massive infusions of superheated steam from rapidly burning forests. The Black Saturday Fires of 2009 in Australia were some of the worst ever witnessed, with gale-force winds and an ambient temperature of 116 degrees Fahrenheit. The fires were so intense that animals and people were killed by radiant heat alone, from hundreds of yards away, and the catastrophic event led to new fire danger classifications, including the “Catastrophic” level. The high levels of CO2 in the atmosphere have made Earth a new place – a fire planet – with an atmosphere more conducive to combustion than any time in the past 3 million years.

 

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Jessica Irvine

Jessica Irvine is a tech enthusiast specializing in gadgets. From smart home devices to cutting-edge electronics, Jessica explores the world of consumer tech, offering readers comprehensive reviews, hands-on experiences, and expert insights into the coolest and most innovative gadgets on the market.