Mimicking a randomized control trial of wildfires, scientists use satellites to uncover the key role of vegetation dryness in wildfire risk, aiding wildfire management and preparedness in California.
United States
Posted inNews
Summer Heat Waves Could Cause Blackouts Across the Country
Higher than normal temps could strain grids that are not used to unprecedented heat waves.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Pulses of Coastal Upwelling Generate Phytoplankton
Phytoplankton patches at an ocean front in the California Current System are found to originate from different coastal upwelling pulses.
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In the Pacific Northwest, 2021 Was the Hottest Year in a Millennium
A 1,000-year temperature record shows unprecedented warming in the Pacific Northwest, and new modeling predicts the likelihood of future heat waves in the decades to come.
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Climate Change, Megafires Crush Forest Regeneration
High-intensity fires in western states kill mature trees and their seeds while warmer, drier conditions stress seedlings. But forest managers can still intervene to change this trajectory.
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Cities Are Rethinking What Kinds of Trees They’re Planting
U.S. cities are losing some 36 million trees every year, but hardier species can restore their canopies.
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Ten Rivers Facing Pollution, Development, and Climate Change—And Policies That Can Help
An annual report highlights 10 waterways that have arrived at forks: where public support could determine whether they receive protection.
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Biden Administration Considers Unprecedented Solution to Colorado River Crisis
As Colorado River Basin states prove unable to reach a consensus in reducing their water consumption, the U.S. Department of the Interior is investigating an option that defies the Law of the River.
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Extreme Wildfires Make Their Own Weather
Extreme fires in the western United States and Southeast Asia influenced the local weather in ways that make fires and smoke pollution worse.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Landfall Temperature of Atmospheric Rivers on the US West Coast
Atmospheric rivers that start in warm areas of the North Pacific generally stay warm, leading to warmer landfall temperatures in the western United States.