California geologists are improving their understanding and forecasting of which slopes in wildfire-burned areas might fail during heavy rainstorms.
wildfires
Posted inNews
Fire Histories May Be Written on Grains of Sand
Tiny bits of quartz record the intensity of fires from hundreds or even thousands of years ago, potentially offering new ways to study historic fires and how heat affects soil.
Posted inNews
Climate Change Narrows the Window for Prescribed Fires
Longer, drier summers may mean fewer opportunities for firefighters to safely burn would-be wildfire fuel in the western United States.
Posted inNews
Natural Nitrogen Emissions Are Rising in California
Wildfires and soil microbes are releasing more nitrogen oxides in California as the climate gets warmer and drier.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Wildfires and Weather Affect Portugal’s Public Health
Researchers dug into data to examine the effects of wildfires, pollutants, and meteorological factors on mortality and cardiovascular health in the Iberian country.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Wet Conditions Delay Wildfire Detection
When accompanied by a considerable amount of rainfall, ignition of wildfire by lightning over forested land may not be detected until days later.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Lightning-Caused Wildfires are 80 Percent More Likely Under Dry Vegetation
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.
Posted inNews
Where Does Fire Retardant Fall in a Forest? Ask a Satellite
Knowing where fire retardant lands once it’s dropped from a plane is hard to pin down. A new remote sensing approach offers clues.
Posted inNews
As Wildfires Grow, So Could Methane Emissions
Wildfires that wreaked havoc on California in 2020 filled the atmosphere with a potent greenhouse gas.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Using Cave Formations to Investigate Ancient Wildfires
From sediment cores to speleothems, environmental archives are helping us to understand the history of wildfires.