The article discusses the changing fire regime in the Arctic region, specifically highlighting the increase in wildfires in northern Eurasia and Greenland since the early 2010s. Satellite data from NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites show a surge in wildland fires, with many burning more intensely than before.
The article attributes these trends to rising temperatures, which have made northern landscapes more flammable, as well as a poleward expansion of lightning, the primary ignition source for these fires. Researchers attribute these changes to climate change, citing the Arctic Council's Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) report.
The article also notes that the number of fire detections and their distribution is just one metric of the Arctic's changing fire regime, with fires burning larger, hotter, and longer than they did in previous decades. The study's lead author, Jessica McCarty, states that "Fire has always been a part of the boreal and the Arctic landscape... but now it's starting to act in more extreme ways that mimic what we've seen in the temperate and the tropical areas."
The article provides maps showing fire detections from 2002 to 2012 (yellow) and 2012 to 2024 (orange), highlighting the increase in wildfires since the early 2010s. It also includes links to additional resources, including NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System and the AMAP Arctic Climate Change Update 2024 report.
Overall, the article highlights the changing fire regime in the Arctic region and its potential implications for ecosystems and human activities.
The article attributes these trends to rising temperatures, which have made northern landscapes more flammable, as well as a poleward expansion of lightning, the primary ignition source for these fires. Researchers attribute these changes to climate change, citing the Arctic Council's Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) report.
The article also notes that the number of fire detections and their distribution is just one metric of the Arctic's changing fire regime, with fires burning larger, hotter, and longer than they did in previous decades. The study's lead author, Jessica McCarty, states that "Fire has always been a part of the boreal and the Arctic landscape... but now it's starting to act in more extreme ways that mimic what we've seen in the temperate and the tropical areas."
The article provides maps showing fire detections from 2002 to 2012 (yellow) and 2012 to 2024 (orange), highlighting the increase in wildfires since the early 2010s. It also includes links to additional resources, including NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System and the AMAP Arctic Climate Change Update 2024 report.
Overall, the article highlights the changing fire regime in the Arctic region and its potential implications for ecosystems and human activities.