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Pedantic cloud enjoyer here, the article should name this a pyrocumulus not pyrocumulonimbus - the nimbus part means 'rain-bearing' in meteorology, fire clouds

by falloon 4mo ago

Pedantic cloud enjoyer here, the article should name this a pyrocumulus not pyrocumulonimbus - the nimbus part means 'rain-bearing' in meteorology, fire clouds don't rain.

realslimjd 4mo ago
To be fair, it's not the article that's the problem. Pyrocumulonimbus is the accepted scientific name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulonimbus_flammagenitus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulonimbus_flammagenitus.
- byte_0 4mo ago
  Thanks for the article. However, the article mentions that they might involve precipitation.
  - margalabargala 4mo ago
    Yes, they might. The grandparent comment of this thread in multiple different ways, not just the name.
margalabargala 4mo ago
The term used by the UK Royal Meteorological Society is pyrocumulonimbus: https://www.rmets.org/metmatters/pyrocumulonimbus-clouds https://www.rmets.org/metmatters/pyrocumulonimbus-clouds
imoverclocked 4mo ago
It rains ash. While it’s a metaphorical use of “rain” it’s physically accurate.
julienchastang 4mo ago
Incorrect. These fires basically create their own weather systems. All that smoke also contains a lot of water in the material that is burning. (That makes sense. They are trees, after all.) When the smoke reaches high enough in the atmosphere the smoke cools and water can precipitate out (rain) and also lightning potentially producing more fires.
divbzero 4mo ago
Pyrocumulonimbus [1] appears to be the most extreme version of pyrocumulus [2] which, coincidentally, was observed halfway around the world in Washington State this week [3]. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulonimbus_flammagenitus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulonimbus_flammagenitus [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flammagenitus_cloud https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flammagenitus_cloud [3]: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/little-giant-fires-pyrocumulus-cloud-rises-east-of-seattle/ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/little...
dualvariable 4mo ago
Cumulonimbus has been separated from its etymological roots. It now refers to the physics that can produce deep convection, high clouds, and the formation of an anvil shape (along with lightning, etc). The convection that produces a cumulonimbus rain cloud is present in a pyrocumulonimbus cloud. The word isn't wrong.
- energy123 4mo ago
  People need to learn what compound words are.
- falloon 4mo ago
  Well, I was confidently wrong about that. I stand corrected, thanks for the pointers.
- runeks 4mo ago
  Comment threads like these are why I read HN comments. Thank you for the insights, both of you.
sjbzbeiks 4mo ago
During the press conference describing this the speaker claims they’re working with meteorologists from France Météo supporting the term at 6:30 https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xas3lw2 https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xas3lw2 Technical details in the video link start around 3:34 for those interested Excuse the French for the non Francophones but trying to be detailed and exacting here on why this isn’t bad journalism to use that term
nunez 4mo ago
Apparently this cloud can create lightning and its own wind though
blitzar 4mo ago
it rains hellfire

by falloon 4mo ago

Pedantic cloud enjoyer here, the article should name this a pyrocumulus not pyrocumulonimbus - the nimbus part means 'rain-bearing' in meteorology, fire clouds don't rain.

realslimjd 4mo ago

To be fair, it's not the article that's the problem. Pyrocumulonimbus is the accepted scientific name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulonimbus_flammagenitus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulonimbus_flammagenitus.

byte_0 4mo ago
Thanks for the article. However, the article mentions that they might involve precipitation.
- margalabargala 4mo ago
  Yes, they might. The grandparent comment of this thread in multiple different ways, not just the name.

margalabargala 4mo ago

The term used by the UK Royal Meteorological Society is pyrocumulonimbus: https://www.rmets.org/metmatters/pyrocumulonimbus-clouds https://www.rmets.org/metmatters/pyrocumulonimbus-clouds

imoverclocked 4mo ago

It rains ash. While it’s a metaphorical use of “rain” it’s physically accurate.

julienchastang 4mo ago

Incorrect. These fires basically create their own weather systems. All that smoke also contains a lot of water in the material that is burning. (That makes sense. They are trees, after all.) When the smoke reaches high enough in the atmosphere the smoke cools and water can precipitate out (rain) and also lightning potentially producing more fires.

divbzero 4mo ago

Pyrocumulonimbus [1] appears to be the most extreme version of pyrocumulus [2] which, coincidentally, was observed halfway around the world in Washington State this week [3]. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulonimbus_flammagenitus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulonimbus_flammagenitus [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flammagenitus_cloud https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flammagenitus_cloud [3]: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/little-giant-fires-pyrocumulus-cloud-rises-east-of-seattle/ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/little...

dualvariable 4mo ago

Cumulonimbus has been separated from its etymological roots. It now refers to the physics that can produce deep convection, high clouds, and the formation of an anvil shape (along with lightning, etc). The convection that produces a cumulonimbus rain cloud is present in a pyrocumulonimbus cloud. The word isn't wrong.

energy123 4mo ago
People need to learn what compound words are.
falloon 4mo ago
Well, I was confidently wrong about that. I stand corrected, thanks for the pointers.
runeks 4mo ago
Comment threads like these are why I read HN comments. Thank you for the insights, both of you.

sjbzbeiks 4mo ago

During the press conference describing this the speaker claims they’re working with meteorologists from France Météo supporting the term at 6:30 https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xas3lw2 https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xas3lw2 Technical details in the video link start around 3:34 for those interested Excuse the French for the non Francophones but trying to be detailed and exacting here on why this isn’t bad journalism to use that term

nunez 4mo ago

Apparently this cloud can create lightning and its own wind though

blitzar 4mo ago

it rains hellfire