Droughts self-propagate, just like wildfires
Up to 30% of the rainfall deficit can be caused by "drought self-propagation," the DRY–2–DRY European Research Council (ERC) project shows......»»
Wildfires are growing under climate change, and their smoke threatens farmworkers, study says
As wildfires scorched swaths of land in the wine country of Sonoma County in 2020, sending ash flying and choking the air with smoke, Maria Salinas harvested grapes......»»
Climate change raised the odds of unprecedented wildfires in 2023–24, say scientists
Unprecedented wildfires in Canada and parts of Amazonia last year were at least three times more likely due to climate change and contributed to high levels of CO2 emissions from burning globally, according to the first edition of a new systematic an.....»»
Wildfires don"t just burn farmland—they can contaminate water farmers use to irrigate crops and support livestock
The wildfires that burned across Maui, Hawaii, in August 2023 became the deadliest conflagration in the United States in more than a century. While the harm to homes and tourism drew the most attention, agriculture was also heavily affected across th.....»»
Urban growth leads to more intense droughts for many world cities—Sydney is a case study for areas at risk
The growth of cities worldwide is contributing to more intense drought conditions in many cities, including Sydney, a new Chinese study has found. This is adding to urban heat and water stress. These important findings point to the need to improve ho.....»»
Study reveals Canadian wildfires are affecting US air quality and raising health concerns
Rutgers researchers examined particulate matter from a June 2023 fire that triggered advisories for more than 100 million Americans in the Northeast......»»
Residents flee as Greece wildfires rage despite "superhuman" efforts
Greece ordered fresh evacuations near Athens on Monday as wildfires spread despite "superhuman" efforts to contain the flames, firefighters said......»»
Greece wildfires force hundreds to evacuate
Greece on Sunday was battling a spate of wildfires which have forced the evacuation of hundreds of people, as experts warn of more extreme weather conditions to come next week......»»
Historic fires trapped in Antarctic ice yield key information for climate models
Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey tracked fire activity over the past 150 years by measuring carbon monoxide trapped in Antarctic ice. This gas is released, along with smoke and particulates, by wildfires,.....»»
Tracking the restorative effects of good fire
A few miles south of Yosemite's famed Glacier Point, ringed by striking granite domes, lies the Illilouette Basin. This small stretch of the Sierra Nevada Mountains has become a sort of fire laboratory, a place where natural wildfires have been allow.....»»
Why wildfires are getting more dangerous
After more than a year of record-breaking heat, the peak of fire season is approaching across vast swathes of our green planet......»»
Detecting climate change using aerosols
Climate change is one of the most significant environmental challenges of present times, leading to extreme weather events, including droughts, forest fires, and floods. The primary driver of climate change is the release of greenhouse gases into the.....»»
Some Trees ‘Hold Their Breath’ during Wildfires
When wildfire smoke is in the air, some trees essentially shut their windows and doors and hold their breath.....»»
Thunderstorms Have Caused $45 Billion in Damages in the U.S. in Just Six Months
Damage from high-frequency storms is rising faster than losses from major disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires.....»»
Treatment with smoke can favor seed germination in Brazil"s Cerrado biome
For thousands of years, plants have evolved in the presence of wildfires in the Cerrado, Brazil's savanna-like biome. Scientists at São Paulo State University (UNESP) studied the effect of smoke on seed germination for 44 plant species typical of th.....»»
Forests destroyed by wildfires emit carbon long after the flames die—new study
Even in Earth's high northern-latitude forest, climate change is predicted to make wildfires more frequent and severe......»»
Machine learning and better radar solve the "cloud cover" problem
Clouds have for decades been a bugbear for remote sensing of land surface temperature—one of the most important earth system metrics, used in everything from tracking climate change to predicting wildfires. A new approach incorporating machine lear.....»»
Wildfires in Colorado burn dozens of homes and structures, threaten hundreds more
A wildfire burning in Colorado's heavily populated Front Range region has burned dozens of homes and outbuildings, while a second fire crept within a quarter-mile of evacuated homes near Denver on Thursday......»»
Wildfires encroach on homes near Denver as heat hinders fight
A wildfire on the edge of metro Denver crept within a quarter-mile of evacuated homes, but authorities said Thursday morning they were hopeful to save hundreds of threatened residences as they grapple with sweltering temperatures and firefighters suf.....»»
Drought in Sicily threatens grain fields, animal herds
A crushing drought in Sicily has withered fields of grain, deprived livestock of pasture land and fanned a spate of wildfires, causing damage already estimated at 2.7 billion euros this year......»»
Q&A: Why wildfires don"t just burn, but can also pollute aquatic ecosystems
Last week, wildfires blazed across western Canada, turning the town of Jasper, located near Alberta's Jasper National Park, into ashes. The local government estimated that the fire damaged or destroyed up to half of the town's structures......»»