Theory 19/Wildfire smoke/Rate lens
Plume Rise Follows Heat Release
The claim
Smoke plume rise is set by the rate of heat release relative to ambient stability, not by total fuel consumed.
01Mechanism
Buoyancy lifts the plume as long as it is warmer than the environment; the release rate sets how far it rises before equilibrating.
02Prediction
Rise should track the rate against stability.
03Refutation
Rise tracking fuel load would remove the release rate.