. Earth Science News .
FIRE STORM
Mountain fires burning higher at unprecedented rates
by Staff Writers
Montreal, Canada (SPX) Jun 18, 2021

stock illustration only

Forest fires have crept higher up mountains over the past few decades, scorching areas previously too wet to burn, according to researchers from McGill University. As wildfires advance uphill, a staggering 11% of all Western U.S. forests are now at risk.

"Climate change and drought conditions in the West are drying out high-elevation forests, making them particularly susceptible to blazes," says lead author Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, a PhD student at McGill University under the supervision of Professor Jan Adamowski. "This creates new dangers for mountain communities, with impacts on downstream water supplies and the plants and wildlife that call these forests home."

Climate warming has diminished 'flammability barrier'
In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers analyzed records of fires larger than 405 hectares in the mountainous regions of the contiguous Western U.S. between 1984 and 2017.

Their results show that climate warming has diminished the 'high-elevation flammability barrier' - the point where forests historically were too wet to burn regularly because of the lingering presence of snow. The researchers found that fires advanced about 252 meters uphill in the Western mountains over those three decades.

The amount of land that burned increased across all elevations during that period, however the largest increase was at elevations above 2,500 meters. Additionally, the area burning above 8,200 feet more than tripled in 2001 to 2017 compared with 1984 to 2000.

Over the past 34 years, rising temperatures have extended fire territory in the West to an additional 81,500 square kilometers of high-elevation forests, an area similar in size to South Carolina.

"Climate change continues to increase the risk of fire, and this trend will likely continue as the planet warms. More fire activity higher in the mountains is yet another warning of the dangers that lie ahead," says co-author Jan Adamowski, a Professor in the Department of Bioresource Engineering at McGill University.

Research Report: "Warming enabled upslope advance in western US forest fires"


Related Links
McGill University
Forest and Wild Fires - News, Science and Technology


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


FIRE STORM
Drought-hit 'tinderbox' California braces for fires in months ahead
Paradise, United States (AFP) June 2, 2021
"Now, when there's smoke here, everybody panics," said Steve Crowder, mayor of the small town of Paradise that was almost wiped off the map by California's deadly 2018 wildfires. The former police officer still struggles to hold back tears when talking about the blaze that claimed dozens of lives and engulfed 95 percent of his community's buildings. "It's still hard to get over the 85 people that didn't get out," he told AFP. "It's the most horrific thing that I've ever experienced in my lif ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

FIRE STORM
Millions join Mexico quake drills after pandemic eases

Eight detained over deadly China gas blast

Snipers 'were ready to shoot' Greenpeace Euro 2020 parachutist

China says radiation levels normal at Taishan nuclear plant

FIRE STORM
Compact quantum computer for server centers

Juice moves into Large Space Simulator

G7 nations commit to the safe and sustainable use of space

Rare earth metals at the heart of China's rivalry with US, Europe

FIRE STORM
Australia to challenge UNESCO downgrade of Great Barrier Reef

Ocean circulation is key to understanding uncertainties in climate change predictions

Coastal cities face their mortality on the climate 'frontline'

Underwater robot offers new insight into mid-ocean "twilight zone"

FIRE STORM
Irreversible warming tipping point possibly triggered: Arctic mission chief

Study shows how permafrost releases methane in the warming Arctic

Ice shelf disintegration accelerating Pine Island Glacier descent toward sea

Antarctica less frigid in last ice age than scientists previously estimated

FIRE STORM
Changes in farming practices could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2036

Israelis taste the future with lab-grown chicken 'food revolution'

Climate change likely contributed to 'catastrophic' French frost: scientists

Swiss snub synthetic pesticide ban plan

FIRE STORM
Forecast predicts global increase in coastal overtopping

Strong earthquake shakes Peru's capital

Heavy rains in Crimea trigger floods, state of emergency

Death toll rises as monsoon floods hit Bhutan and Nepal

FIRE STORM
Mali ex-rebels question junta's commitment to 2015 peace deal

Gbagbo's return gives push to 'reconciliation' call in Ivory Coast

Congo, China agree debt restructuring

Gabon paid for protecting forests, in African first

FIRE STORM
Brain's memory center also key for real-time decision-making

Urban green space brings happiness when money can't buy it anymore

Study: Brains, bodies of babies active during new sleep stage

Soft tissue measurements in chimpanzees to aid hominid facial reconstruction









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.