Measurements trace European wildfire smoke high into upper troposphere
The images of the major forest fires in Spain and France, with fire clouds near Bordeaux, have shocked many people. There have been numerous reports of the formation of a pyrocumulonimbus cloud—a fire-driven thundercloud—and the possible transport of smoke particles to Central Europe.
Severe forest fires in southern Europe have caused smoke particles to be transported to Germany at unusually high altitudes, researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) have found. During the nights of July 28-30, 2026, smoke layers were observed over Leipzig at altitudes of 10-11 kilometers (6-7 miles), which is exceptionally high for European wildfires.
Backward trajectory analyses revealed that the air masses over Leipzig had been above the fire area near Bordeaux about 15 hours earlier, providing strong evidence of high-reaching pyroconvection and smoke transport to the upper troposphere. While it is uncertain whether the measured smoke originated from a single pyrocumulonimbus event, researchers emphasize that such events are rare in Central Europe.
Smoke particles from wildfires can influence Earth's energy balance and water cycle, scattering and absorbing incoming solar radiation and acting as cloud condensation nuclei or ice nuclei, thus altering cloud microphysical properties and climate impact. TROPOS researchers are studying the atmospheric transport of wildfire smoke using lidar measurements and collaborating within the Leibniz Science Campus "Smoke and Bioaerosols in a Changing Climate" to investigate the climate effects of smoke particles.
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