If intelligent life beyond Earth (should it exist) could view our planet right now, they might be astonished by the great plume of smoke curling over the ocean.
It’s a wild sight, captured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) GOES-West satellite. Potent winds have blown smoke from the historic Western wildfires over 1,000 miles from the coast, into the northern Pacific Ocean. The plume has traveled east too, reaching Mexico. (Hazy skies, from earlier fires, have also been spotted over Europe.)
Record-breaking heat waves, profound record to near-record dryness, and strong winds have allowed massive wildfires to rapidly spread in California, Oregon, and Washington. What’s more, millions of dead trees (killed by climate-enhanced drought and bark beetles) along with mismanaged, overcrowded forests have further amplified these blazes. Read more…
More about California, Climate Change, Fires, Science, and Climate Environment
Source : Colossal fires look ever more menacing, viewed from space
