Wildfires can destroy large tracts of vegetation. But their smoke plumes may help crops and other plants use sunlight more efficiently.
wildfire
Posted inNews
Starting (and Stopping) a Fire to Study It
Fire experiments on peatlands in Southeast Asia have identified previously unknown emissions patterns and could point to ways to detect these smoldering fires before they become too big to fight.
Posted inFeatures
Firing Up Climate Models
Scientists are working to incorporate wildfire data into climate models, resolving hindrances related to scale, speed, and the complex feedbacks between the climate and wildfire emissions.
Posted inScience Updates
A Global Perspective on Wildfires
Satellites provide global-scale data that are invaluable in efforts to understand, monitor, and respond to wildfires and emissions, which are increasingly affecting climate and putting humans at risk.
Posted inFeatures
What Is Left in the Air After a Wildfire Depends on Exactly What Burned
Forecasting air quality after a wildfire is improving, thanks to more-refined models that measure the biomass going into the blaze and the emissions coming out.
Posted inNews
Five Environmental Consequences of Australia’s Fires
Australia’s road to recovery may be long: Here’s a developing list of how the fires are affecting glaciers, wildlife, water supplies, and global carbon emissions.
Posted inOpinions
Australia, Your Country Is Burning—Dangerous Climate Change Is Here With You Now
I am a climate scientist on holiday in the Blue Mountains, watching climate change in action.
Posted inScience Updates
Rating Fire Danger from the Ground Up
Soil moisture information could improve assessments of wildfire probabilities and fuel conditions, resulting in better fire danger ratings.
Posted inNews
Iconic Palms Add to Fire Danger in Southern California
As fires burn across Southern California, researchers examine what role nonnative vegetation plays.
Posted inNews
Wildfire Smoke Traps Itself in Valleys
Simulations show how wildfire smoke increases atmospheric stability inside some valleys, creating a feedback loop that prevents its dispersion.